https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 14 Jun 2026 07:47:03 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682883 Thu, 19 Jan 2017 10:55:07 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2682883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: The problem is that it doesn't provide the cushioning for a fall. I mean, it solves the mud problem. </p> <p>We have regular mulch. We used landscape timbers to frame the space out so it doesn't really get tracked too far. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682873 Thu, 19 Jan 2017 10:46:42 +0000 mediagirl 2682873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours is a mud pit, as well. We have considered regular mulch and rubber mulch. We will probably do regular mulch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682697 Thu, 19 Jan 2017 06:30:10 +0000 MrsSRS 2682697@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ok, I haven't tried this, but I was just thinking...you know how carpet for outdoor porches comes in squares? What about a few squares of indoor/outdoor carpet? Cheap and easy to replace, and not a problem for mowing because you can just pick it up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682678 Thu, 19 Jan 2017 01:14:02 +0000 lemondrop 2682678@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Gravel, I didn't really think about changing what's under the swings. Hasn't been an issue, so I'm not going to change it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682507 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 17:24:52 +0000 Boogs 2682507@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: I did hear about that recently, by haven't read any great research on it. What I was able to find seemed to discuss the kind of rubber used on tracks and such. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682468 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:23:45 +0000 littlejoy 2682468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Madison43: @PinkElephant: I didn't think about ticks (we don't have that issue here). We have pea gravel in our backyard, and it's not too big of an issue. My only complaint is that the rocks get stuck in the bottoms of our shoes. Even with dogs, and lots of foot traffic, the rocks mostly stay in place. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682467 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:21:18 +0000 PinkElephant 2682467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: Natural materials were my initial thought...I just hadn't considered the tick factor! Time to do some research I think! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682459 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:13:26 +0000 littlejoy 2682459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: Our school had little smooth pebbles ... I have a scar on my elbow from one - I remember it tore through my favorite turtleneck, and I was so sad, hahaha. </p> <p>There might be some validity to the safety of rubber issue. Though, could you take a lead tester to the place you'd buy them, and do a quick swab? I prefer natural materials (like mulch or rocks), because kids can use them for more than their intended purpose. I guess kids could use the rubber for filling buckets too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682452 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:06:07 +0000 PinkElephant 2682452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: That's good info about the deer/ticks. I didn't know that. We have a family of deer in the yard (not quite to the swing set, but pretty close) almost daily. I'll have to do my research. Sand seriously grosses me out, both as an animal litter box and as a huge mess getting tracked into the house. I know it's nice and soft, but I don't think I could deal! :)</p> <p>@Boogs: Any concerns about health safety on the rubber mulch? I thought that is what we would do, but then I read somewhere that you have to be careful about the source, because it can contain lead/other chemicals (not sure it was a reliable source, just some late night googling that got me thinking...)</p> <p>@Madison43: yeah, I'm a little worried about the wetness factor too.</p> <p>Honestly, rubber mats would probably be the best thing, but the set is aging - I wouldn't want to do custom rubber mats because the playset it self may need replacing - I'm not sure.</p> <p>@littlejoy: I didn't have a swing set growing up, but all my friends who did had theirs filled with rocks. I remember especially liking the kind that came with the sharp sparkly rocks more than the round smooth ones, and taking home rocks from under my friends' swingsets. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682450 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:56:38 +0000 chopsuey 2682450@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>wood mulch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682439 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:43:36 +0000 Madison43 2682439@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh. We put in a play set last spring and still haven't put anything under it. The grass looks terrible so I want to do something, but mulch is out (we also have deer and ticks and also, our backyard is slow to drain and shaded so the mulch would be soaking wet and gross all he time); rubber mulch is so expensive and I don't like the way it smells. I like the way pea gravel looks the best but my landscaper said that it's a PIA because it ends up everywhere. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682429 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:32:49 +0000 Boogs 2682429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Rubber mulch and so far it's working out for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682428 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:30:36 +0000 bushelandapeck 2682428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have mulch under ours and we refresh it every spring. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682421 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:24:19 +0000 ShootingStar 2682421@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have this dilemma every year. We have a swingset on the grass and it's kind of a pain. It's hard for DH to mow around and of course the grass gets kind of trampled and doesn't grow that great around it, so DH is constantly trying to regrow it so it's not patchy and full of dirt.</p> <p>I hate mulch and we already have areas around our house with it. It gets all pollen-y in spring and it tends to migrate. And if you want it to look nice you have to replace it every year. And for us @Looch: has a good point, we back up against woods with deer and ticks and we don't need further encouragement for ticks in our yard.</p> <p>Rubber mulch is supposed to need to be replaced less often, but it's way more expensive and I feel like it'll still migrate around. Plus the stuff recycled from tires is supposed to be bad for kids.</p> <p>The other options I've considered is pea stones. I assume they have similar drawbacks to mulch though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682399 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:50:31 +0000 looch 2682399@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have grass and don't plan to change it. Mulch isn't a good option because our backyard is a pass through for deer and mulch tends to keep tics. </p> <p>What about sand or possibly those rubber mats, not mulch? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682393 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:46:41 +0000 creativemomma15 2682393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wood mulch! We had our playset for about 1 year before we added the mulch and the grass definitely wore out into dirt/mud. We just built the edging to keep the mulch in one place and we love it. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682386 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:43:10 +0000 littlejoy 2682386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I prefer playgrounds with mulch (but you have to refresh it every so often). My playground when I was little was over CONCRETE! So safe. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-under-your-swing-set#post-2682375 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:29:13 +0000 PinkElephant 2682375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What is under your swing set? Wood mulch? Rubber mulch? Grass? Rocks? Something else?</p> <p>Our new house has a great swing set in the yard, but it is a complete mud pit underneath it, to the point that I loathe sending the girls out to play because they come inside such a mess! I like the "idea" of rubber mulch, but am reading conflicting things about whether or not it's really healthy for kids to be coming into contact with it. </p>