Playground Surfacing

Safety starts at the playground surface

Seventy-five percent of all playground injuries occur when kids fall on improper or poorly maintained playground surfacing. Your Playworld representative can walk you through all your playground surfacing options to ensure you choose the playground surface that meets your site’s safety needs.

Loose-fill playground surfacing

Loose-fill materials like wood chips are cost-effective, traditional playground surfacing favorites because of their excellent shock-absorbing properties when installed and maintained at appropriate depths. (Playworld Systems recommends loose-fill playground surfacing of 12” for maximum critical height protection.)

Loose-fill materials are also a great surfacing solution for non-traditional playground elements, like Climbing BouldersTM, Playworld’s authentic-feeling rock climbing adventure.

Minimize loose-fill surface replacement costs with Border Timbers, Playworld’s interlocking border elements that keep loose-fill materials in their place. Made from 100% recycled plastic, they won’t splinter or crack like conventional wood.

Unitary playground surfacing featuring Cushion Play®

Unitary playground surfaces are smooth, seamless, uniform surfaces like rubber tiles, Pour-In-Place surfacing, and Playworld’s exclusive solution, Cushion Play.

Made entirely of recycled tires, Cushion Play is the resilient, accessible playground surface that helps keep playground tumbles from becoming serious injuries. It meets all ADA guidelines and exceeds CPSC guidelines for shock absorption, and offers these added benefits:

• Easy to install using common tools
• Virtually maintenance free
• Dries quickly after wet weather
• Available in four earth-tone colors
• Backed by a five-year warranty

A well-maintained unitary playground surface like Cushion Play is also very easy to roll or walk over, making it a great solution for accessible playgrounds.

Concrete or asphalt playground surfacing

For play activities that do not have elevated play activities, a flat, hard, stable playground surface—like concrete or asphalt—may be preferable. Playability of our LifeTrail® outdoor fitness equipment and NEOS® electronic playsystems, for example, actually improves with concrete or asphalt playground surfacing. Both materials provide a level surface with predictable traction, perfect for older adults and fast-paced aerobic activity alike.

Your Playworld Systems representative can help you determine the type and quantity of surfacing you will need to make your playspace safe and accessible for all. Find a representative.