We put down wood chips that we re-fill every couple of years.

Anonymous wrote:If you put a swing set on a grass yard, the grass will be destroyed and there will be holes worn in the dirt if it gets any significant use. I'd put something under it for purely aesthetic reasons.

We have the mats from Creative Playthings under the swings. The rest of the grass looks normal. Going on 6 years now.

Anonymous wrote:Nope. It’s on the grass.

Same. Much easier to maintain. And our school removed the rubber mulch and replaced with wood chips. It was super hot!

If you feel like you have to put down something, just put down wood mulch. We have rubber mulch left in our yard from a previous owner and it's a pain to get rid of.

Anonymous wrote:If you put a swing set on a grass yard, the grass will be destroyed and there will be holes worn in the dirt if it gets any significant use. I'd put something under it for purely aesthetic reasons.

I put it on the grass. My kids are now teens and I just realized all of the grass has grown back in under the swings. Sure it looks nice, but I was sad to miss those worn holes under each swing.

If you put a swing set on a grass yard, the grass will be destroyed and there will be holes worn in the dirt if it gets any significant use. I'd put something under it for purely aesthetic reasons.

Anonymous wrote:No way, it is expensive, gets hot and is dirty and who knows what the plastic is leaching in to the earth every time it rains.

One of my kids has had a concussion though (not from a playground) and so we had enough cubic yards of wood playground fiber mulch delivered from a local landscape stone and mulch supplier. It is basically wood chips that don't make splinters and were not treated with arsenic or other chemicals.
You should put something under it, but I would do playground fiber again.

I meant you should put something under your swingset and if I were doing it again, I would still do the wood playground fiber.

Nope. It’s ugly and the wrong kind of rubber could cause cancer (so DCUM of an answer, I know). But I would rather a broken leg than cancer.

FWIW I don’t know anyone who did rubber mulch at their own house. But I live in Silver Spring, so that may be part of it.

No way, it is expensive, gets hot and is dirty and who knows what the plastic is leaching in to the earth every time it rains.

One of my kids has had a concussion though (not from a playground) and so we had enough cubic yards of wood playground fiber mulch delivered from a local landscape stone and mulch supplier. It is basically wood chips that don't make splinters and were not treated with arsenic or other chemicals.
You should put something under it, but I would do playground fiber again.

Nope! And 5 years later, no regrets.

Nope. It’s on the grass.

I only did it because it seemed like everyone else is our group of friends did it. Not the best reason.

No. Playground rubber mulch is often there to prevent possible litigation, and I haven't had similar concerns at home.

I absolutely do not think you should feel guilt about this. While I don't at all consider playing on a playset in grass risky (at all), it might be helpful to learn about the benefits of risky play, bumps, bruises, and scrapes. Kids are actually safer if we let them learn their own limits and this involves some risk. The general world at large is hard on parents these days - you can't win, and I understand how the guilt creeps in - but we need to let kids explore and not try to prevent all potential scrapes.

Not the greatest source but I can't find teh article I like on risky play - this goes over some of the benefits, https://www.scarymommy.com/let-kids-take-risks-playing-outdoors/

We are getting a swing set installed and I had no planned to put down rubber mulch. Now I am feeling a lot of parental guilt about making it as safe as possible. But rubber mulch is expensive! More than the swing set!! What did you do?