Backyard recreational areas are places where young kids can play on swing sets, see saw, sand boxes and have fun right in their own backyard. Playing in the backyard offers a lot of advantages for your child and helps develop skills such as hand-eye coordination, sharing and physical ability. If you have a wood play set in the backyard you should have a protective surface underneath which helps to prevent injuries to children. This is one safety feature you do not want to overlook and is really a necessity for preventing injuries.
The surface should be some sort of shock absorbing surface such as rubber mulch. Rubber mulch is made from recycled tires which provide better shock absorption well within the established ASTM 1292.99 guidelines for safety surfacing guidelines. Rubber mulch is available in the stores and online retailers in many different colors so it compliments your backyard landscaping.
If you planning to use a portion of the backyard for building a play set made from wood or metal for kids to play on you will need to allow for a six foot area, safety perimeter around the entire swing set. The safety perimeter (fall zone) should include the swinging area, meaning in front of the swing and behind the swing. Keep in mind that a minimum distance of twice the height of the swing as calculated from the soil (ground) to the top of the beam support. If you are hiring a contractor or a professional installation company to build it make sure you remind them about the surfacing. Be cautious on the installation of swing sets because it is essential to the safety of the children playing on it.
Swing sets are the favorite backyard accessory these days. You can purchase this type equipment for your backyard and create a playground area that will be the envy of the community. Wood and metal play sets are ideal for children who love swinging, climb and have fun playing. Wooden and metal swing sets are the safe for use if you follow the manufacturer's recommendations for protective surfacing and proper installation and play use guidelines.
In view of the fact that almost 60% of all kids injured on playgrounds is caused by falls to the ground so please use a protective surfacing under and around the swing set. This is the most critical safety factor of playing on swing sets whether they are in a residential setting or a commercial setting.