When choosing new playground equipment, you'll find that many different playground materials are used in its construction. Your choice of playground materials will affect the safety, durability, and appearance of everything in your play area. At AAA State of Play, we're dedicated to providing high-quality, commercial-grade products for everything playground, from ground material to shade canopies and everything in between. We'd be glad to help you buy the best products for your park or play space.
Most commercial-grade play structures are made of plastic, metal, or a combination of these materials, as they're the sturdiest options to use for outdoor play equipment.
Commercial-grade plastic play equipment is available in a wide range of attractive colors, and although plastic is slightly less durable than metal, it is also safer if a child takes a tumble. These characteristics make it a great material choice for indoor play equipment, structures for younger playground users, and independent play stations. If you're looking for more environmentally friendly playground material, consider recycled plastic play structures.
Larger outdoor equipment may be made of metal or wood, with high-traffic equipment, like slides, swings, and climbers at public playgrounds, usually made of metal. Commercial-grade metal playground equipment is made of extremely durable steel and comes in a variety of bright color coatings.
Wood is a popular playground equipment material for residential playgrounds due to its natural appearance and customizable nature. Wood playsets can be easily revamped with fun add-ons and rearranged in new configurations.
While both of these playground equipment materials have a long life span and are quite sturdy, metal and wood each require proper maintenance to prevent deterioration. Metal equipment requires weather-sealing to prevent rust and safety-coating to prevent heat-related injuries. Wood requires more extensive weather protection and must be carefully assessed for signs of environmental damage.
Several types of playground ground materials can help protect children during playtime, from loose-fill materials to solid surfaces. The most popular playground surface materials include:
Finding the right playground base material is an important safety consideration, as playground injuries are quite common.
When selecting safe surfacing for a playground, ground material made from loose mulch is one of the most popular picks. This is an effective and economical material for a playground floor, but you'll need to make sure it's properly maintained for optimal safety. Loose materials can be made of wood or rubber. Wear mats are typically used in conjunction with loose-fill playground base material to add an extra layer of protection and help prevent the displacement of the materials as children play.
Whether you choose loose-fill material or solid surfacing, it should comply with national safety standards and guidelines. The CPSC and the American Society for Testing and Materials provide clear information on acceptable playground surfacing materials, and when you buy surfacing from AAA State of Play, you can rest assured that your playground base material complies with safety standards and meets ADA accessibility requirements.
Engineered wood fiber (EWF) is a specially processed material made from finely ground virgin wood that has been carefully processed to remove sawdust. It’s a popular choice for playground cover due to its affordability and durability, and it’s a natural and eco-friendly solution for covering playground surfaces. Some people also choose to use play sand and pea gravel as playground cover, but we don’t advise this: These materials do not fully meet ADA accessibility standards, and they need to be layered at least a foot deep to provide any fall protection.
You can also choose to use rubber for your playground covering, either in the form of solid rubber surface material or rubber mulch. Rubber mulch provides effective and economical playground floor coverage, ensuring safety during playtime. This loose-fill material is made by grinding up recycled tires, providing a soft, cushioned surface for children to land. Rubber mulch comes in at a fraction of the cost of solid rubber surfaces. On the other hand, poured-in-place rubber is a low-maintenance but more costly alternative to loose fill. Solid surfacing materials are known for their durability and compliance with national safety standards, and they’re also both slip-resistant and easy to navigate with wheelchairs and strollers. Poured rubber is widely recognized as the best playground base material due to its quality and safety.
The playground materials used to build structures are usually pressure-treated wood, galvanized steel, or aluminum.
We are proud to offer a wide selection of affordable playground equipment in a range of materials and top-notch customer service at AAA State of Play. All of our equipment is made of high-quality, commercial-grade playground materials, and our knowledgeable customer support team is available to guide customers through the purchase process, from ordering through installation. Browse our online selection of playground equipment, materials for playground surfacing, and other accessories today, then update your outdated playground with commercial-grade playground materials and replacement parts from AAA State of Play.
Find more about the author: Kim Hart
