One amenity that parents seek out when selecting a daycare is a fun and engaging outdoor playground, ensuring that kids have access to fresh air and exercise. With an outdoor playground, however, comes the risk of injury, especially when children are running around.
Because of this it is incredibly important to utilize a protective playground flooring, such as rubber playground mats, to prevent and reduce injuries.
How Common Are Playground Injuries?
The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) has reported that more than 70 percent of all injuries that occur on playgrounds involve falls – many times onto unsafe surfaces. If a play area has uneven flooring tiles or grass then it is incredibly easy for children to trip over and injure themselves.
Information from the NSC shows that emergency departments in the U.S. treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and under for playground-related injuries each year. About 45% of these injuries go well beyond bumps and bruises but instead are severe fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations.
What Safety Products Are Available for Daycare Providers?
Historically, daycares have had to rely on wood mulch, recycled rubber mulch, or pour-in-place surfacing to outfit playgrounds for safety. Each of these options has its downfalls. Wood mulch is difficult and expensive to maintain as it requires replenishment each year. Rubber mulch is also often displaced and costly to replace. Pour-in-place can get very hot in direct sun, which can lead to additonal injuries.
Using Grass Mats as Playground Safety mats is a cost-effective alternative to wood and rubber mulch or pour-in-place. These playground mats are made from 30% recycled rubber, so are also a sustainable choice for play areas. In addition to providing protection, the design of grass mats allows grass to continue to grow, limiting any detrimental effects on your landscape and allowing children a natural and safe area to play in.
Grass mats have been safety tested and comply with ASTM F1292 and ASTM F1951, which are both critical standards highlighted by the NPPS.
Why Use Grass Mats?
Installing regular playground tiles or mats can actually be quite an undertaking. They are heavy, and expensive – but grass mats are an often overlooked alternative.
A grass mat functions similarly to rubber tiles, but offers a more cost effective solution with easier installation. No matter if you have many square foot to cover, or a smaller area of turf, they are incredibly adaptable. Each mat can be attached to others, using only cable ties and pinned to the ground with anchor pins.
The durable rubber material also means that you can use grass matting around areas with heavier foot traffic, such as around playground equipment. Not only will they protect children that are playing, but they will also protect the green areas outside, allowing grass to grow through undisrupted.
Perhaps most importantly, grass mats offer fall protection and have been rigorously tested against a critical fall height of 3 meters – ensuring the safety for children against any falls that may take place. Far more durable than indoor foam mats, using grass mats as playground flooring tiles is a fantastic long term solution for keeping children safe while they’re at daycare.
Which Grass Mats Do I Need?
If you’re looking to begin utilizing grass mats as rubber playground tiles, but are unsure if you need a grass mat roll or regular mats, our team are happy to provide guidance. Simply contact us today.