A growing number of preschools and day care facilities are creating more outdoor play opportunities for the children they serve. Playgrounds are particularly critical to this effort as they need to promote higher activity levels while keeping kids safe from the ground up. Just ask the Hoaloha Kai Montessori School in Honolulu, HI, a private school that serves children from the age of two months through sixth grade. A significant portion of their students are between three to six years old. Administration recognized that encouraging kids to play outside was an important part of their development along with strong learning programs. But the school faced the challenges of limited space and equally limited funds. Realizing that synthetic turf would provide the best surface solution given the area limitations and maintenance needs, the administration turned to NyLawn, the Synthetic Turf International (STI) distributor for Hawaii, to construct a new, safer playground. The goal was clear–design a synthetic turf surface that would create more play value, aesthetic appeal and make the most of the limited surface area. “The play space required some much needed improvements to bring it up to a safe and professional looking facility,” Rory Otto, president of NyLawn, said. “We wanted to create a beautiful playground that protected the ‘Keiki,’ which is Hawaiian for kids.” Maximizing safety was the top priority. NyLawn came up with a Miracle 2-5 YO custom structure with a curved edge Fall Zone and an exciting color scheme. The equipment’s fall height was determined by the spiral slides platform at approximately 6-foot-2. They used a 2.25-inch thick recycled foam underlayment with an STI product and sand/rubber infill, creating a critical fall height of more than eight feet. Selected to ensure the surfacing exceeded the required fall height well into the life of the equipment, the system followed ASTM 1487 and CPSC Guidelines so the perimeter met or exceeded the Use Zone of the equipment as well. “The new synthetic grass play area and wall has added to our curb appeal and prompted families to inquire about our school,” noted Hoku Chong, director of admissions at the Hoaloha Kai Montessori School. She also felt that one of their students expressed it most eloquently of all in stating “our courtyard is much more safe and awesome now.”
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