Playground?

[midaycare]

Here in Michigan we are required to have some kind of soft padding underneath the playground - maybe it's like that everywhere?

What do you use underneath your playground? Everything I can find online is ridiculous expensive.

TIA

[CraftyMom]

We are required to have a fall zone 9 inches deep and 6 feet out from every point, for every play structure higher than waist level. It could be mulch, sand or some other material (not rocks) It would be a huge expense for me so I opted not to use my playscape for daycare. We have a small slide that is waist level and plenty of other toys that keep them busy

[midaycare]

It will definitely be costly ... I'm just trying to figure out which costly option is the cheapest!

[Annalee]

We are required to have a fall zone 9 inches deep and 6 feet out from every point, for every play structure higher than waist level. It could be mulch, sand or some other material (not rocks) It would be a huge expense for me so I opted not to use my playscape for daycare. We have a small slide that is waist level and plenty of other toys that keep them busy

We have stringent guidelines on the playground as well. I took all my climbers that were over 12 inches tall out for this reason. I do have pea gravel on my playground but it was too expensive to keep it 6 inches deep all the time. If QRIS checked 10 places and only 1 didn't measure 6 inches, I would be discounted on my score.

[midaycare]

We have stringent guidelines on the playground as well. I took all my climbers that were over 12 inches tall out for this reason. I do have pea gravel on my playground but it was too expensive to keep it 6 inches deep all the time. If QRIS checked 10 places and only 1 didn't measure 6 inches, I would be discounted on my score.

Seriously, what does everyone do? This is craziness.

[Annalee]

Seriously, what does everyone do? This is craziness.

I agree....just not worth the civil penalties being levied at this time. It is frustrating to go by daycares and see there is NO fall zone with big climbing structures but, as sure as I do that, I will get hit with one of those high-flying write-ups with a fine. :confused:

[CraftyMom]

It will definitely be costly ... I'm just trying to figure out which costly option is the cheapest!

From what I hear sand may be the cheapest, depending on your area

[midaycare]

From what I hear sand may be the cheapest, depending on your area

The beach is a mile away ... kidding! I wouldn't steal sand

[CraftyMom]

The beach is a mile away ... kidding! I wouldn't steal sand

Hmmmmm...now there's an idea! ::

[Childminder]

I have wood chips, free from the county, covered with outdoor carpet that I got from craigslist cheap. LOVE it!

No likey sand because it ends up everywhere, in every shoe and pocket and tracked into my house plus cats use it to potty. Same with pea gravel plus it sticks in shoe tread and broken my vacuum.

Search this site for photos and opinions, been discussed before.

[NightOwl]

Here, the grass is considered padding. Make sure it's not the same in your state before you go spending loads of cash!

[coolconfidentme]

From what I hear sand may be the cheapest, depending on your area

Sand is a huge liter box for the neighboring cats!!!!

[Maria2013]

It will definitely be costly ... I'm just trying to figure out which costly option is the cheapest!

for me, the cheapest turned out to be replacing the equipment ::

I don't take SA anymore, so I don't need large play structure anyway.

[Maria2013]

Sand is a huge liter box for the neighboring cats!!!!

I agree

[midaycare]

Uugh. I didn't think about the cats/litter box aspect. Yuck.