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Playground Surfacing
all abilities.
Here are the questions your playground committee needs to ask:
What can we afford? Do we have the staff to conduct daily maintenance so we are ensured
the surfacing is safe? How are we going to meet ADA? Do we want children of all abilities to
be able to interact and play on the playground with their peers?
Below is information to help you answer these questions.
First asphalt, grass, concrete or soil do not meet safety regulations and you may NOT use
them.
There are two other general categories of surfacing: loose fill or synthetic material. All loose
fill surfacing requires daily raking to maintain the required depth of the material that ensure
the safety of children. They also require yearly replenishment. Often this type of
maintenance does not occur creating unsafe playgrounds. In addition, loose fill is often
tracked into buildings requiring additional maintenance indoors.
Pea gravel, sand and wood chips are loose-fill but do not meet ADA. However, you can use
other surfacing to create paths to the entry point of the play equipment and it will enable
your playground to meet the requirements.
The disadvantage of pea gravel is that you cannot use this material if your playground is
higher than 6'. Also daycare providers have reported that peas gravel fits well in a nostril or
an ear, which can result in a visit to the doctor or emergency room to remove.
Sand is one of the easiest products to maintain. You just need to level out the sand if it gets
windswept. Children love to play in sand which is both a pro and a con. Cats can use the
sand as a liter box. If a bottle get broken in the sand, it will be difficult to remove.
Wood Chips are different from Engineered Wood Fiber, which do meet ADA. Parents have
reported they won't go to playgrounds with wood chips or wood fiber because their children
are too likely to put it in their mouths.
The loose-fill surfacing that meets ADA are Shredded Rubber and Engineered Wood Fiber.
You do not need to use other surfacing to create paths. However, there is a difference
between ADA regulations and a child using a wheelchair being able to play on the
playground. It is extremely difficult if not impossible to push or wheel a wheelchair through
either of these surfaces.
The benefits to these two surfaces are in the cost. They meet ADA and are cost efficient.
That is why these are the surfaces you see the most often.
The surfaces that are universally accessible and go beyond ADA to be actually usable for
children with disabilities include Pour-in-Place, Rubber mats/tiles, and artificial grass with
rubber underneath. The benefits to these surfaces besides the accessibility are the
maintenance. You do not need to do daily maintenance to ensure that safety is maintained.
There may be times you need to patch areas or sweep it off, but overall there is very little
work to do be done.
The problem with these surfaces is the cost. They cost significantly more than loose filled
surfacing; however they are your only true choice if you want all children to be able to play
on your playground.
Personally, I like the artificial turf. It looks like real grass and therefore, fits seamlessly into
your park. Because it acts like grass, you will often see parents sitting on it while a young
child crawls around. I have not seen this with any other type of surfacing. For children who
have difficulty making transitions, I have seen them sit in the grass for awhile and then
slowly move to a ground level piece of equipment.
Because it is a little bouncy thanks to the loose rubber underneath, children feel safer and
are willing to try something slightly outside of their comfort zone. If there is a lot of play
traffic, the surface can become slightly unlevel with dips in the grass. If the dips are not too
extreme, it can actually add to the benefits of the playground for a child with a disability.
The adulations allow children to practice walking or wheeling in a natural setting enabling
them to practice balancing. If the dips become extreme they must be fixed which can be
time consuming and costly.
Here are the questions your playground committee needs to ask:
What can we afford? Do we have the staff to conduct daily maintenance so we are ensured
the surfacing is safe? How are we going to meet ADA? Do we want children of all abilities to
be able to interact and play on the playground with their peers?
Below is information to help you answer these questions.
First asphalt, grass, concrete or soil do not meet safety regulations and you may NOT use
them.
There are two other general categories of surfacing: loose fill or synthetic material. All loose
fill surfacing requires daily raking to maintain the required depth of the material that ensure
the safety of children. They also require yearly replenishment. Often this type of
maintenance does not occur creating unsafe playgrounds. In addition, loose fill is often
tracked into buildings requiring additional maintenance indoors.
Pea gravel, sand and wood chips are loose-fill but do not meet ADA. However, you can use
other surfacing to create paths to the entry point of the play equipment and it will enable
your playground to meet the requirements.
The disadvantage of pea gravel is that you cannot use this material if your playground is
higher than 6'. Also daycare providers have reported that peas gravel fits well in a nostril or
an ear, which can result in a visit to the doctor or emergency room to remove.
Sand is one of the easiest products to maintain. You just need to level out the sand if it gets
windswept. Children love to play in sand which is both a pro and a con. Cats can use the
sand as a liter box. If a bottle get broken in the sand, it will be difficult to remove.
Wood Chips are different from Engineered Wood Fiber, which do meet ADA. Parents have
reported they won't go to playgrounds with wood chips or wood fiber because their children
are too likely to put it in their mouths.
The loose-fill surfacing that meets ADA are Shredded Rubber and Engineered Wood Fiber.
You do not need to use other surfacing to create paths. However, there is a difference
between ADA regulations and a child using a wheelchair being able to play on the
playground. It is extremely difficult if not impossible to push or wheel a wheelchair through
either of these surfaces.
The benefits to these two surfaces are in the cost. They meet ADA and are cost efficient.
That is why these are the surfaces you see the most often.
The surfaces that are universally accessible and go beyond ADA to be actually usable for
children with disabilities include Pour-in-Place, Rubber mats/tiles, and artificial grass with
rubber underneath. The benefits to these surfaces besides the accessibility are the
maintenance. You do not need to do daily maintenance to ensure that safety is maintained.
There may be times you need to patch areas or sweep it off, but overall there is very little
work to do be done.
The problem with these surfaces is the cost. They cost significantly more than loose filled
surfacing; however they are your only true choice if you want all children to be able to play
on your playground.
Personally, I like the artificial turf. It looks like real grass and therefore, fits seamlessly into
your park. Because it acts like grass, you will often see parents sitting on it while a young
child crawls around. I have not seen this with any other type of surfacing. For children who
have difficulty making transitions, I have seen them sit in the grass for awhile and then
slowly move to a ground level piece of equipment.
Because it is a little bouncy thanks to the loose rubber underneath, children feel safer and
are willing to try something slightly outside of their comfort zone. If there is a lot of play
traffic, the surface can become slightly unlevel with dips in the grass. If the dips are not too
extreme, it can actually add to the benefits of the playground for a child with a disability.
The adulations allow children to practice walking or wheeling in a natural setting enabling
them to practice balancing. If the dips become extreme they must be fixed which can be
time consuming and costly.
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