Backyard Outdoor Playset

9 years ago

Having a hard time deciding what to do with our backyard. Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

Our yard is relatively small (~ 50ft x 50ft)

We are trying to put a playset on it for our son and I don't know if I should just put it on the grass or build a border and put mulch down. I think the border would be around 24x24 which would take alot of our backyard up.

Anyone have pros vs cons for doing either?

Certainly one con for "on the grass" is having to weed wack around the entire set...

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Comments (2)

PRO
Yardvaark
9 years ago
Are the limits of your yard shown in the picture or does your yard extend into what looks light it might be a wooded area on the left? It would be good if the picture showed 15' farther in all directions.
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deviant-deziner
9 years ago
A typical lawn surface does not provide shock absorption safety provisions.
Yes, grass is definitely better than concrete but still falls short in the safety division when compared to playground fiber ( play grnd fiber is usually cedar chips that have been put through a tumbler to eliminate splinters ) It is also recommended that the fiber be laid down at an appropriate depth of no less than 9 inches. ( There are government guidelines for both residential and commercial playgrounds to help both parents and designers _ http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/122149/325.pdf )
As far as the cushioned space around the play structure I believe a mimimum of 8 feet in all directions is commonly recommended.

We design a lot of playground structures both on the commercial and residential levels and I have to say that an organic shaped surface area that is totally integrated into a dynamic and creative space is much more visually and functually stimulating than just a square plop of playground fiber surrounding a play structure.

If you have a local library or bookstore nearby I highly recommend Taunton Press's books, " Kidspace Idea Book" and " Outdoor Living Idea Book". There are lots of creative outdoor playground spaced in the books that will inspire you to think beyond the square within the box.
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Backyard Outdoor Playset

Comments (2)

Yardvaark

deviant-deziner

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