Is artificial grass safe under a swing set?

Turf alone isn't enough. CPSC's home playground handbook says grass, carpeting and thin mats aren't adequate protective surfacing. Under a swing set the turf needs a shock pad, tested to ASTM F1292, rated for a height equal to or greater than the tallest platform or swing bar it sits under.

How far should playground turf extend around a swing set?

CPSC's home handbook says protective surfacing should run at least 6 feet out from the equipment in every direction. For a to-and-fro swing it goes further: in front and behind, to twice the height of the top bar the swing hangs from. Measure that before you ask for a price.

Is crumb rubber infill safe for kids?

EPA and CDC's 2019 tire crumb report says plainly it is not a risk assessment. It found that chemicals are present in tire crumb but that human exposure appears to be limited. Florida's rule only allows rubber infill inside the playground equipment's footprint on single-family lots, so most of the yard uses sand.

Playground Turf in Pompano Beach, FL

Playground Turf Options for Backyard Play Areas

CPSC says about 50,000 children a year go to U.S. emergency rooms after injuries on home playground equipment, and about 80% of those injuries are falls. That's what playground turf is for. It's a cushioned surface first and a lawn second, so the pad and its rating matter more than the blades. These are the pieces of a backyard play-area job.

Backyard wooden play tower with a green slide and two swings over artificial grass laid on a foam pad, the turf edge lifted at one corner to show the pad, a white stucco wall behind

Turf Over Foam Pad Under Swing Sets and Play Towers

Under a swing set or play tower, the turf sits on a shock pad over the base. HomeGuide lists the shock pad as an add-on for play areas. CPSC's home handbook is blunt about what doesn't work: grass, carpeting and thin mats aren't adequate surfacing. Turf without a rated pad falls into that group.

Cross-section view of playground turf at the edge of a play area showing artificial grass, a thick foam shock pad and a compacted gray crushed-stone base

Fall-Height Ratings and Pad Thickness

A pad's rating is a height. CPSC calls it the critical height, the fall below which a life-threatening head injury wouldn't be expected. Ask the installer or the pad maker for the ASTM F1292 test report. The rated height should equal or exceed the fall height of your equipment: the distance from the highest platform or standing surface down to the turf. A taller play tower needs a pad rated for the greater height.

Close view of playground turf with light tan sand infill visible between the green blades, a swing seat's shadow across it in soft afternoon light

Infill for Play Areas and the Tire-Crumb Question

On a single-family lot, Florida's rule allows rubber or other synthetic infill only within the footprint of playground equipment. Everywhere else it's sand, rock, shell or another natural material. Parents often ask about tire crumb. EPA and CDC's 2019 report says it's not a risk assessment, and found that human exposure "appears to be limited". Color matters in the sun too. CPSC notes some dark surfacing has blistered bare feet, so ask how hot the chosen infill gets (heat figures; infill compared).

Small backyard play corner of artificial grass beside a paver patio with a wooden playhouse and a sandbox, a coconut palm and screened pool cage in the background

Small Play Yards Beside the Patio

Not every play area needs a pad. CPSC says ground-level equipment like a sandbox, playhouse or activity wall needs no protective surfacing. Turf there can be a standard lawn build. What it rules out is setting climbing equipment on the patio slab: home play equipment shouldn't go over concrete, asphalt or any other hard surface. Turf glued onto the slab doesn't change that.

Turf installer kneeling on a compacted crushed-stone base, pulling a tape measure along the edge, a roll of artificial grass nearby

Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Beach Turf

Free, no-obligation estimates
Square footage, turf and price on paper before anyone digs
Your request goes to one installer, not a call list
No fee to you for the introduction

Playground Turf Cost and Timeline

Fixr's location table runs from $6 to $20 per square foot installed for playgrounds. Budget on top of that for:

Shock pad
$2.50 to $3 per square foot (Fixr).
Area
CPSC's 6-foot zone around the set, and twice the top-bar height in front of and behind swings.
Base and prep
sod removal and the crushed-rock base, as for any turf (full price ranges).

Fixr says most installs take under a day to three days. Pompano Beach's building permit comes first (permit paperwork).

Before You Book a Playground Turf Job

Placement
CPSC wants play equipment at least 6 feet from a house, fence, shed, tree or pole, and swings further still to the front and back. Fix the set's position before the turf is measured.
Blade and pile
Fixr suggests V-shaped blades for small children because they spring back. Angi recommends a pile up to 5/8 inch where kids and pets play hard.
Upkeep
CPSC says to check the surfacing often for wear.