Playground Safety is clearly the prime factor when planning your playground. American Playground™ equipment is approved for installation only when a playground surface is used in accordance with Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and American Society of Testing Material (ASTM) guidelines. Acceptable playground surfacing materials are available in two basic types: unitary or loose fill, as described.

Poured in Rubber	Rubber Tiles	Playground Mulch

Unitary materials are generally rubber tiles or poured in place rubber, installed over a hard uniform surface such as asphalt or concrete. They are attractive, easy to clean and are low maintenance. This is the ultimate choice if the budget allows.

Loose materials include sand, pea gravel, and approved playground mulch. While pea gravel and sand are CPSC approved products, we discourage their use because they do not adapt well to ADA accessible playgrounds, as well as the wear and tear to the equipment and to the children (throwing sand or getting in their eyes, etc.) We do recommend an approved playground mulch as a safety surface. It is readily available in most areas, very economical, is easily installed and replenished in the future.