Kids fall on every Charlotte Playground, that’s the fact!  Kids are kids and we love them for it, but it’s our job to keep our little bundles of joy safe, especially on our playgrounds.

Jon and I built Creative Playscapes with the primary focus on designing and building safe and fun playgrounds in the Charlotte, NC regions for kids to enjoy.  We do this so parents (like Jon and myself) don’t have to work about injury so much.  We do a very good job on every playground we have designed and built in Charlotte and the Southeast!

Here are some numbers from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

• 79% of all playground injuries are due to falls
• 68% are due to falls to the ground surface

This is why it is imperative to have adequate fall surface and avoid liability.  We at Creative Playscapes are your safety surfacing experts. We have access to the latest testing data and materials specifications to design a surface that will meet your exact needs on the playground.  Budgets, maintenance, surface durability, and wear are all considered to help fit the exact needs of your facility.

EPDM Surfacing:
This is state of the art playground surfacing.  EPDM is made tiny rubber pellets, incorporated on the playground site with a urethane binder to form a playground surface that is “Pliable” or “Soft” in other words it’s very durable but cushiony too.

We install EDPM Surfacing in a variety of depths, using a fall guide AKA compliance regulations based on the fall height requirements of the playground equipment we are installing.  We usually strive for 2 to 4 inches of playground safety surfacing.

If playground safety is a topic you feel strongly about (like Jon and myself), EPDM is the surface coverage we recommend.

#PlaygroundSafetyCharlotte

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Playground Safety Surface Resource in Charlotte NC first appeared on Creative Playscapes.

The ground surface of a playground is a key element for safety, the softer and more pliable the ground surface, the less opportunity for injuries to the children at play.  We recommend PIP or Poured in Place Rubber Playground Surfacing, as it is made from 100% recycled materials mixed with a binding compound (which is the glue). It also has a ground rubber component that allows it to be flexible and safer for kids if they fall.

The binding compound that’s mixed with the base materials to comprise the poured in place rubber surfacing is uniquely manufactured for implementation to recreation areas, athletic fields and a variety of places where a durable, safe ground surface is preferred.

The PIP rubber playground surfacing has numerous advantageous factors:

Safety – the rubber for playground surface is flexible enough to thwart many injuries from a short fall

Colorful – a variety of colors can be implemented into the surface compound and used for unique color schemes or creating a design.  The options are almost limitless

Long Lasting – our PIP rubber playground surfacing will withstand the heat and cold and provide a safe ground surface for nearly a decade in most climates

Cleaning – once installed, the poured in place rubber playground surfacing is easily cleaned with mild household detergents; stains and debris literally wipe away

We suggest PIP Surfacing to almost every playground customer we work with; it has the best return on investment and is highly rated for its safety.  For more information on how we install PIP Rubber Surfacing or to obtain a quote, simply call me personally and I will provide all requested information.

Here is a short “How To” video on one of our Poured in Place Rubber Playground Surfacing projects in Charlotte, NC.

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Poured in Place Rubber Playground Surfacing first appeared on Creative Playscapes.

Health was a huge inspiration to me, and a reason why Jon and I entered the playground business.  A playground can be much more than a place to take the kids and let them run off some energy; it is a place to breath in the fresh air and burn off some of those extra calories while having fun.  In fact, research suggests that you can burn nearly 300 calories with only an hour of moderate activity outside.

Even then, there is more to health than just burning calories.  Playgrounds offer wide verity of unique opportunities for children:

1)    Social Skills: Playgrounds offer a chance for kids to govern themselves all while getting involved with the interest and concerns of their peers.  This can build strong leadership skills and a sense of comradery.

Self–Care: A playground allows a kid to test their abilities in a safe environment.  This can help them understand limitations and may lead to safer or less risky decisions down the road.

2)    Problem Solving: Waiting turns, working together, communicating, and learning from others are all beneficial to the problem solving skills a kid will use throughout his or her life.

While Jon and I will never pretend every experience at the playground is positive, (with Bees, Icky Spiders, and messy Toads), it is the overall experience that may help your child grow into a well-rounded person.  Now, total that with the few hundred calories you may lose and, what are you waiting for?  Get outside and go play an hour a day!

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Getting Outside & Getting Healthy first appeared on Creative Playscapes.

Each year more than 200,000 kids are treated in hospitals for different types of playground-related injuries and many of them could have been prevented if they were being properly supervised.

Adult supervision is vital to promoting a safe experience on the playground.  Kids will be kids and they don’t always see the danger in certain things the way an adult does.  They might think its ok to jump from something that’s too high and then end up with a broken arm or leg.  Older kids like to see just how far they can go, test their limits, and this isn’t always the smartest decision either. 

With playgrounds, you need proper surface, design, and spacing, along with equipment inspections and maintenance.  Here at Creative Playscapes, this is our field of expertise.  We design and build playgrounds to fit every need and make sure it’s done right.  We don’t want kids swinging and accidentally kicking the other kids coming down the slide.

Even with all the inspections, safety surfaces, and proper supervision, it’s important to make sure each child understand the rules of playing on the playground.  Make sure they know and understand what is safe and what is not safe.  Teaching them the do’s and don’ts will play a big role in keeping everyone safe.  Public parks have signs up showing that you must have a helmet on to rides bikes.  Sunscreen is a good idea especially if there are no shade structures to block some of it.  But that’s some tips for getting kids out and playing safely.

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Let’s Keep Kids Safe first appeared on Creative Playscapes.

 

In the past twenty years, childhood obesity rates have did more than double and that’s not the only problem that has increased.  Pediatricians are handing out more antidepressants to children now than ever before by a pretty steep increase and the U.S.A. has become the largest consumer of ADHD medications across the globe.  It’s really stressful on our kids to be so out of shape and cooped up.  With the weather nice and warm, it’s the perfect time to get them out there playing and being active and social with other kids.

Play is not just “play”.  Kids are out having fun and enjoying their time while they are developing a lot of skills that will allow them to handle the real world as they grow older easier and they are exercising without even knowing it.  The importance of play can’t be emphasized enough.

Along with how important play is, it is also important to make sure your kids are playing in a safe environment.  Always check play equipment and make sure nothing is loose or able to become a hazard to a child.  Here at Creative Playscapes, we make the safety of the children our number one priority.  We create an environment where kids can play, learn, and grow into healthy, well rounded individuals without parents and caregivers having to worry about what they are playing on.  When it comes to kids, you can never be too safe and we have strict guidelines and restrictions to help make sure nothing is overlooked.

Safety Starts w/ Stability!

Kurt Karriker
704-589-7455
Creative Playscapes

The post Getting Healthy first appeared on Creative Playscapes.