Every adult can remember taking an unfortunate fall on the unforgiving surface of their childhood playground. For many, these falls from monkey bars and swing sets would result in broken bones and lengthy healing periods. Such injuries can be largely credited to traditional playground surfaces such as sand, woodchips, and sometimes even concrete. Though children still play as rough as ever, the choices of ground cover for playgrounds have certainly evolved.

These days, the go-to surfacing for playgrounds is made from affordable and durable recycled rubber material. Rubber is the ideal ground cover for playgrounds because of its high elasticity, resilience, and slip-resistance. Recycled rubber, in particular, is a popular choice for playground floor covering due to its flexible surface and resistance to outdoor weather conditions. This is because recycled rubber is made from discarded vehicle tires, which are extremely durable and contain high amounts of SBR and EPDM rubbers. Recycled rubber combines SBR’s intense abrasion resistance with EPDM’s ozone and UV protection, resulting in a heavy-duty playground floor covering that can withstand virtually any weather conditions. Playground tiles made from recycled rubber will not degrade or discolor when left outdoors, and they can endure everything from mud and heavy rainfall to a dust storm in the dry heat. A recycled rubber ground cover for playgrounds not only withstands year-round weather conditions, but requires very little maintenance along the way. Rubber floors are long-lasting and can be hosed down with water for easy cleaning.

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has specific safety standards laid out for public playgrounds to ensure your children are as safe as possible, no matter where they play. Any public ground cover for playgrounds must be tested by ASTM standards to ensure it is safe enough for little ones to play on, otherwise you may end up with unforgiving floor type that hurts more than it helps. Just remember all the scrapes, cuts, and broken bones that came from falling on traditional playground surfaces like woodchips and sand. In fact, rubberized playground tiles are specially designed to handle the high-impact, physical needs of children at play. These types of ground cover for playgrounds are typically held to ASTM F1292-09 Standards and cleared for falls as high as 6ft. to prevent any serious injuries. Falling onto any type of flooring is inevitably going to cause a bit of pain, but ASTM Standards ensure that ground cover for playgrounds minimizes the possibility of injury. The flexibility and hardness of a playground surface must be just right, providing both a sturdy flooring and comfortable padding in case of falls. After all, if the flooring flexes too much underfoot, it can cause an imbalance in stability when children run and jump on the playground surfaces.

Rubber playground covers are extra-thick, often up to 2 or 3-inches, and feature waffled undersides to flex under impacts and lessen the severity of falls. The unique underside of rubber playground tiles allows them flex and provide protection without sacrificing their stability. Rubberized ground cover for playgrounds generally has a durometer between 40 and 50 Shore A, which is much more pliable than your typical rubber floors. Despite their elasticity, rubber playground floor covering must maintain a sturdy surface for children to run and jump on, and a 45A durometer provides the perfect amount of stability. Rubber floors and playground covers also provide comfort and anti-fatigue qualities by relieving stress from the feet, ankles, and lower back area of the body. If the rubber surface is too soft, however, it can actually add stress to joints and muscles rather than release it. This is why it is crucial that ground cover for playgrounds is safety tested and held to ASTM standards. Playground floor covering must provide the perfect amount of flex and comfort, because any surface that is too hard or too soft can have disastrous results.

Another important safety feature provided by a rubber playground surface is the material’s inherit slip resistance. Unlike other flooring materials, rubber demonstrates an exceptionally high coefficient of friction. This means the material has greater ability to “push back” or gain traction when feet or equipment press against the playground surface. This feature is very important when choosing ground cover for playgrounds because children are at such high risk of slip-and-fall accidents. A ground cover for playgrounds that is made of rubber can prevent slips and trips, even when the flooring is wet. Considering how common outdoor playgrounds are, this quality is crucial. Whether moisture is caused by rain, sprinklers, or even a spilled beverage—a rubber playground floor covering will ensure no footing is lost to these hazardous liquids.

Rubber surfacing for playgrounds is designed with public play areas in mind. That is why, in addition to safety features, rubber playground tiles are designed for easy installations and maintenance. Due to the unique “waffle” shaped underside of play tiles, the ground cover for playgrounds is installed without use of adhesives. A rubber playground surface is constructed with use of connector pins, which fit easily into holes of the sides of each tile. Even for large playgrounds, professional installation services are costly and unnecessary. A tiled ground cover for playgrounds, on the other hand, can be treated as a DIY project. Because they are commonly made from recycled rubber, the tiled flooring can be left outdoors year-round and cleaned easily with water and mild soap. The durable playground surface is long-lasting and will not discolor or degrade from outdoor conditions. If at any point part or all of the ground cover must be replaced, the individual playground tiles can be removed easily without disrupting the entire floor.

Rubber is the ultimate material for fitness flooring and protective surfacing—so naturally it is the perfect material to use as ground cover for playgrounds. Recycled rubber playground tiles are eco-friendly and provide a level of safety that simply cannot be achieved by traditional playground floors. Wood chips and sand notoriously cause more harm than good, and that’s why rubber ground cover for playgrounds is tested and approved by ASTM Standards. Rigid, unforgiving playground surfaces are a thing of the past—rubber is safest and most reliable option for a play area of any kind.