When a simple household product is used by someone of great influence or who is under public scrutiny, the item in question suddenly becomes well known. This is where the idea of celebrity endorsement comes from. Sometimes a product may receive endorsement simply through the free choice of the celebrity using it, without the company paying for advertisement. This is the case with rubber mulch.
When Barack and Michelle Obama moved into the White House, as with all Presidents and First Ladies, they put their personal touch on the residence. In their case, this included a White House vegetable garden and playground, among other amenities. After being contacted by the National Recreation and Park Association, they chose to put Playsafer playground flooring into Sasha and Malia’s playground. There is almost no greater endorsement than being used by the Obamas, and this resulted in a big boom in the rubber mulch industry. Why did they do it?
The Obamas are advocates of the Green Revolution and making this world a safer place for our children. Rubber mulch is made out of recycled tires, offering a perfect solution for tires that otherwise take up space in landfills. There are many benefits to rubber mulch, one of which is its added playground safety. Unlike wood chips that have been used in the past, mulch has an added measure of shock absorbency, helping to prevent numerous injuries in children. Other benefits are its cost effectiveness and low maintenance, and customized colors, but safety of the environment and our children comes first. The Obamas have shown that by choosing to use rubber mulch in the White House playground.
Naysayers argue that the mulch covers the ground, allowing it no oxygen, and that there is the potential for chemicals to leach out of the rubber tires. However, studies have proven otherwise, and the Obamas have embraced this new solution to wood chips that lead to deforestation. They chose Playsafer rubber mulch above other manufacturers for their excellent service, low prices, and high tech methods of producing rubber mulch.
For city and personal playgrounds, Playsafer rubber mulch is now the way to go. If it’s good enough for the President of the United States, it should be good enough for you.
For most people, summer is a time of vacation and relaxation, but for thousands of families each year, it can be a time of medical strife. The National Safe Kids campaign reports that one in four kids ages fourteen and younger sustain medical injuries during the summer that require medical attention. They have also found that forty percent of all injury related emergency room visits, and forty-two percent of all injury deaths happen between the months of May and August. The statistics are chilling, and a frightening wake up call for parents everywhere. There are easy ways to help prevent the principle causes of injuries to children.
Playground Flooring
Is your playground really as safe as you’d like it to be? Studies have shown that rubber mulch is the safest playground flooring on the market. Rubber mulch looks like wood chips, but is made out of recycled rubber, providing an alternative that is friendly to kids and to the environment. The flooring has shock absorbing properties that help prevent injuries in children. Rubber mulch in your neighborhood playground can be the difference between sprained wrists or merely bruises. Check with your neighborhood parks department that the parks and playgrounds in your area are equipped with rubber mulch.
Keep Them Hydrated
Kids are often very busy having a good time, and forget mundane details such as meals and drinks. It is vital to keep your children hydrated with water, especially during long periods outdoors and at the pool. Dehydration is a leading cause of emergency room visits for children, as their small bodies retain less water than adults, and they can rapidly dehydrate to dangerous levels.
Helmets
Whether it’s on a scooter, bike, roller blades, or the like, a helmet is vital. Helmets can be the difference between life and death. Dusk is a particularly dangerous time, as drivers have lower visibility, and may not see a child before it’s too late. Make sure that your kids don’t leave the driveway without a helmet on.
Write to your local officials to ensure that rubber mulch is used in community playgrounds, and keep a large stock of water on hand at all times. Make sure that your kids’ helmets fit well, and are in good condition. Keep your summer experience happy and healthy with the necessary safety guidelines in place.
More than 200,000 playground injuries end up in the emergency room every year. Don’t let your child be next! This may seem extreme, but it is true. Schools around the
U.S are installing Rubber Flooring in their playgrounds to insure their students safety. Rubber Mulch is a smart choice for schools because it’s economical and lasts long.
That’s good because with all the headache that comes with running a school, owners don’t want to be bothered with dealing with the flooring of their playgrounds. At the
end of the day, everyone’s happy. The owners of the schools feel confident that they are doing their best to keep their students safe and the kids actually enjoy it too!
It’s fun and colorful and easy to run around on. If anyone falls, it ends up being a light bounce, as opposed to a hard bang. Parents can relax too, knowing their kids
are safe at school.
Surprisingly, 90% of playground structures are considered unsafe! This may seem freightening being that kids spend most of their time out on the playground and even justoutdoors! You can put Rubber Flooring anywhere your kids play. If you have an empty lot with cement flooring, where the kids bike, skate, or play ball, you may
want to seriously consider Rubber Bonds. The kids are bound to fall, and they will definitely feel more comfortable knowing how soft and bouncy, yet still strong and
sturdy, Rubber Bonds are. As parents, you too will feel much more relaxed when your kids play outside. The injury rate will definatiley decrease!
Mulch is a thing not everyone today consider using. But let me tell you that this is one of the fantastic things that you can use for your garden, if you simply want to lower down the maintenance costs while getting the best desired results.
These Rubberecycle mulches are generally a layer of natural material that can be spread on the top of the soil and are perfectly right for your garden. These conserves the soil’s moisture and are further helpful in improving the soil conditions in your garden by maintaining the right temperature of the soil that is just right in every season.
Rubber Mulches are generally light and admit easy flow of air and water into the soil.
These mulches are available in variety like organic, inorganic and synthetic (like rubberecyle mulches). Organic mulches are usually plant material that decomposes and adds nutrients automatically to the soil. These mulches act as one of the best sources for defending and controlling of weeds. As these reduce water loss to great extent that evaporates during sunny day, your garden therefore needs very less watering.
This reduces much maintenance costs that are nearly impossible without these rubber mulches.
The rubber mulches are also helpful in adding nutrients to the soil. It serves you well for long and acts brilliantly as time saver and money savers for you. Pine bark, shredded leaves, grass clippings, etc. are some of the best used organic mulches that are common these days in garden areas.
These decompose and act as nutrients for your soils thus enhancing the quality of soil in your garden. You can easily use these comfortable mulches following simple steps at your home. Clean and weed the area properly and use them on the surfaces accordingly to get the best results.
There are also the types of Rubberecyle mulch that you can use for your surfaces at gardens and playgrounds and make the surface ready to use.
Let’s Move! has an ambitious but important goal: to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.
Playing outdoors is a major component in fighting childhood obesity, and significantly contributes to the mental and physical health and wellbeing of young people,” said Barbara Tulipane, CEO of NRPA. It is the responsibility of every community to provide children with safe and challenging play environments.”
Let’s Move will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.
When playing outdoors!
1. Don’t forget what’s below your feet! Grass is not an acceptable surfacing for playgrounds. One of the leading causes of injury on playgrounds is falling from playground equipment. To minimize the frequency and severity of injury from playground falls, it is crucial to have certified playground surfacing, such as rubber mulch surfacing installed under and around the equipment on any public playground. This surfacing is certified to have sufficient depth or thickness to minimize impact injuries from falls. Like you would find that when the white house had a playground installed, they chose recycled Playsafer Rubber Mulch and Rubber Curbs from Rubberecycle.com of Lakewood New Jersey.
2. Be an advocate for safety standards. Playground equipment and surfacing have been carefully evaluated by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The standards set by these organizations help ensure that playground equipment and surfacing is age appropriate and designed with the measurement of children’s physical dimensions, skills and abilities in mind. IPEMA runs an industry-leading certification program to test and validate playground equipment and surfacing to meet ASTM standards.
3. Proper installation is key to safety! Playground equipment should be installed by individuals experienced in assembly directions and knowledgeable about the environment surrounding the playground, including soil, drainage and the use of other construction materials, tools, equipment and machinery. The manufacturers of specific pieces of equipment can provide certified installers, or the International Playground Contractors Association can provide assistance.
With the announcement of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative to battle childhood obesity, The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) is reminding parents of the importance of providing an hour of free play outdoors in a safe play environment.
Let’s Move! has an ambitious but important goal: to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.
Let’s Move will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.
Join First Lady Michelle Obama, community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads in a nationwide campaign to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity.
5 Playground Safety Tips from IPEMA.com
1. Don’t forget what’s below your feet! Grass is not an acceptable surfacing for playgrounds. One of the leading causes of injury on playgrounds is falling from playground equipment. To minimize the frequency and severity of injury from playground falls, it is crucial to have certified playground surfacing, such as rubber mulch surfacing installed under and around the equipment on any public playground. This surfacing is certified to have sufficient depth or thickness to minimize impact injuries from falls. Like you would find that when the white house had a playground installed, they chose recycled Playsafer Rubber Mulch and Rubber Curbs from Rubberecycle.com of Lakewood New Jersey.
2. Be an advocate for safety standards. Playground equipment and surfacing have been carefully evaluated by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The standards set by these organizations help ensure that playground equipment and surfacing is age appropriate and designed with the measurement of children’s physical dimensions, skills and abilities in mind. IPEMA runs an industry-leading certification program to test and validate playground equipment and surfacing to meet ASTM standards.
3. Proper installation is key to safety! Playground equipment should be installed by individuals experienced in assembly directions and knowledgeable about the environment surrounding the playground, including soil, drainage and the use of other construction materials, tools, equipment and machinery. The manufacturers of specific pieces of equipment can provide certified installers, or the International Playground Contractors Association can provide assistance.
4. Check, re-check and then check again. Once the equipment and surfacing are installed have a post-installation safety audit performed by a person certified in playground safety prior to use. This audit will determine if any equipment or surfacing is non-compliant and will help prioritize any issues that should be corrected before the playing begins. Proper installation also includes posting signage about the age-appropriateness of specific equipment.
5. Don’t underestimate maintenance and upkeep. Proper maintenance can be forgotten — but is one of the most important aspects of ensuring safety on a playground. Maintenance processes must be in place on both a routine and long-term basis. Equipment must be checked for signs of damage following severe weather and for signs of vandalism or any other man-made or natural catastrophe. In addition, equipment will show natural wear and tear each year and regular maintenance inspections and replacement processes should be in place to minimize hazards.
Do you want to have a secure playground
for your loved ones? If the answer is yes then you have landed on the right post. Creating a safe and secure playground is an easy task if some tips and techniques are followed.
Nowadays there are many surfacing options available in the market. A high quality and durable surface of a playground makes it secure for children. According to a recent survey done, incidents of accidents in the playground are increasing very fast and there are many people who are trying their best to reduce these incidents.
Have you ever heard of rubber mulch? It is special type of material which is made up of recycled rubber tires. This material is non- toxic and environment friendly. There are many more benefits of rubber mulch. The mulch acts as a cushion in the garden or back yard. It can effective prevent different types of accidents.
The mulch is available in different colors and qualities. You can choose the color according to your need and taste.
It is a good idea to shop online. There are many benefits of online shopping. You can compare the prices offered by various companies.
Don`t forget to plan your budget in advance. In this way you will save some time and money.
Are you planning t surface your play ground or back yard. In this article you will find various surfacing options which are available in today’s market. Top six materials which are used to surface playgrounds and yards are as follows:-
1. Pour-in Place Rubber
2. Rubber Mulch
3. Rubber Chips
4. wood strips
5. Rubber Tiles
6. Artificial glass
Every material has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are several factors which should be considered while opting a surfacing option for your playground garden or back yard. Let’s discuss them one by one.
1. The material you are using to cover your garden should be safe for children as well as adults. It should be soft and durable. The material should act as a shock absorber. These types of material will avoid several types of injuries and accidents in the playground area.
2. The material which is being used for surfacing the playground should be environment friendly. By using rubber mulch you are giving a hand in rubber recycling process. Rubber waste which is not recycled can be very harmful for the nature. Playground Mulch has been recommended one of the best surfacing options by the government authorities and officials.
We all agree that playground time can be just as vital as classroom time to a child’s social, emotional and educational development.
Due to school budget cuts and an increased focus on academic standards, millions of American schoolchildren may miss out on unstructured play with their peers including hopscotch, tag, kickball or jump rope.
Recess also functions successfully as an established school-based activity and should be carefully considered as part of any school health and wellness policy.
Despite mounting evidence that kids need an outlet to blow off steam, learn to interact with others and get the exercise they need, nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools have either eliminated or are considering eliminating recess.
On the other hand we need to make sure to follow all the playgrounds safety tips as mentioned by CPSC safety tips. Use this simple checklist to help make sure your local community or school playground is a safe place to play.
Playground surfaces can contain recovered rubber and PVC materials that are often more desirable than wood chips, sand, or asphalt, because they can provide more cushioning and thereby may be safer for children. You can find playground surfaces made with recovered materials at schools, military bases, and housing developments.
We here in the USA are well aware of the importance of playgrounds for our children. It represents a safe haven where they can let their imaginations take them into their own private world. In addition, we adults know how beneficial it is for their physical and emotional health; an opportunity to run around and get vital exercise, while at the same time releasing any built-up tensions. It is interesting to note that even in Afghanistan, they are well aware of the importance of playgrounds for kids. Here is an article that appeared in Playground Magazine.
Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan Public Affairs
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – For a war-torn nation, the concept of childhood and innocent play was thought to be all but forgotten. The trash littered roads and dilapidated housing are a common site in the Panjwayee District.
Barefoot and scantily clothed, the poverty stricken children in Kandahar province find entertainment with sticks and abandoned trash and too often, become the victims of roadside accidents. While the construction of school houses is becoming more frequent throughout southern Afghanistan, the children are all too often left to their own devices. But for one small village, the recent completion of a fenced playground offers a safe place to reinvent the custom of play.
High-pitched screams and excited laughter are heard as nearly thirty children scramble to the newly completed playground a mere one hundred meters from the village housing. Located between a bazaar and abandoned Russian barracks now used as apartments, the playground is easily accessible for all the local children. As the sun settles, light reflects off the aluminum slide as children mingle with the shadows, reluctant to abandon their newly acquired play space. Children of all ages appear night after night, when chores are complete, to escape into a world of imagination. This area is theirs alone; a place free of broken glass, insurgents and bombs.
“We built this playground to promote security for the children,” explains a civil affairs captain overseeing the project. “The village has a school but lacked a safe environment for children to play and socialize. The children need this area for developmental progression. The advent of a playground provides one of the most effective methods to enhance their standard of living while simultaneously decreasing their association with insurgents or insurgent activity.”
“The village elders closely monitor the playground and the local Afghan national army routinely patrols the area,” remarks the captain. “The ANA also ensure the safety of the children by inspecting the playground before the children are released from school for the day. This prevents the emplacement of explosive devices.”
The playground, consisting of swing sets, monkey bars, a seesaw and a slide, will one day also attract older villagers. Special Forces have planted fifty trees and will soon deliver multiple wooden benches. Upon completion, the playground will have evolved into a park, offering shelter from the piercing sun and a safe haven for all ages.