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Head to the Playground to Learn Math!

Head to the Playground to Learn Math!

Remember field trips? Remember how much fun they were? Remember how much you learned? You were learning, you know. When students leave the classroom, they start to see the connections between what they see in their textbooks and what can be found in the real world....

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Rain or Shine, Shades Have Your Play Area Covered!

Rain or Shine, Shades Have Your Play Area Covered!

All too often, canopies and shade structures are an afterthought. So much time is spent designing a playground, choosing the right equipment, and finding the rubber surfacing to keep children safe, that not much thought (or budget) goes into what should cover the...

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Making Your Backyard Playground Fun and Safe

Making Your Backyard Playground Fun and Safe

If you have children, you may want an area in your backyard for them and their friends to climb and play, to be active and happy, all without leaving home. It’s never been easier to install a backyard playground. All it takes is some basic construction know-how, the...

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Choosing Age Appropriate Playground Equipment

Choosing Age Appropriate Playground Equipment

Children come in all sizes and levels of physical abilities. Toddlers, pre-school, and school-age children could not be more different. They have vastly different physical needs, intellectual abilities, and social skills. That is why most playground equipment does not...

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How IPEMA Helps Schools & Communities

How IPEMA Helps Schools & Communities

Heading into 2020, we have the safest playgrounds for our schools and parks we have ever had. Children can play carefree without fearing unnecessary injuries, while parents and teachers can relax knowing that the little ones are playing in a safe area. This is in...

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Six Tips for Cleaning Your No Fault Safety Surface

Six Tips for Cleaning Your No Fault Safety Surface

No Fault’s rubber safety surfaces bring beauty and safety to playgrounds, daycare centers, splash pads, pool decks, and theme parks across America. Poured-in-place rubber safety surfaces (also called “PIP”) are popular because they give school and park administrators...

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Playground Makeovers:  Upgrades for Safety & Appearance

Playground Makeovers: Upgrades for Safety & Appearance

At No Fault, we view parks and playgrounds as magical places: places that bring communities together. We view them as a place for children to develop social, physical, and cognitive skills that will benefit them well into adulthood. Although playgrounds have been...

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Playgrounds Spring to Life with Creative Surfacing Designs!

Playgrounds Spring to Life with Creative Surfacing Designs!

Whether you are remodeling a playground or designing a new one, there should be one thing on your mind – SAFETY. But if you ask the children what should be the biggest consideration, they’ll probably say: Make sure it’s fun! In case you have not noticed, most children...

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Rubber Mulch:  Another Great Safety Surfacing Option

Rubber Mulch: Another Great Safety Surfacing Option

Have you thought of using rubber mulch for your playground surfacing? No Fault Rubber Mulch is an environmentally sustainable and non-toxic loose fill playground surface. It is also clean, attractive, and doesn’t have an unpleasant smell.  Rubber mulch is safe both...

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Park Playgrounds for Dogs & Kids!

Park Playgrounds for Dogs & Kids!

Should kids be allowed inside dog parks? The answer to that question is “yes”, if the dog park has a separate playground area designed for children’s play. Of course, exceptions are made for service/assistance dogs. Some municipal parks or private playgrounds will...

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Incorporate Playgrounds into Summer Adventures!

Incorporate Playgrounds into Summer Adventures!

School’s out, it’s hot, and unless there’s a family vacation or summer camp in the plans, summer means a lot of sitting around the house. Getting kids to play outside during the summer can be a challenge. Face it—who can blame them for not wanting to get out of the...

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A Historical Look at Playgrounds & Playground Safety

A Historical Look at Playgrounds & Playground Safety

Playgrounds have been around in the United States for more than 130 years, and throughout the years, they have changed significantly (for the better). From materials to safety precautions and child development considerations, here are some ways that American...

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“Make a Splash” with a New Splash Pad!

“Make a Splash” with a New Splash Pad!

Anyone who remembers their childhood knows that children love playing in public water fountains. They even enjoy playing in the backyard sprinkler out on the lawn. It doesn’t take much to keep children entertained. Have you considered building a splash pad for your...

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What is ‘Critical Fall Height’ and Why Does it Matter?

What is ‘Critical Fall Height’ and Why Does it Matter?

If you’ve been looking at our No Fault website (and if you have, WELCOME!) you may have noticed that each of our playground safety surface products (such as Poured-In-Place (PIP), Loose Rubber Mulch, Bonded Rubber Mulch, and Safety Tiles) have "critical fall heights"...

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Does Longer Recess Mean Better Grades?

Does Longer Recess Mean Better Grades?

As beneficial as playtime is for our children, unfortunately, it has been scaled back or eliminated altogether in schools across the country. The average third-grader receives only 1.7 hours of outdoor play per week according to a National Center for Education...

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Safe Water Play Means Getting the Right Surfacing

Safe Water Play Means Getting the Right Surfacing

Children love playing in water. That’s why aquatic playgrounds provide an engaging alternative to swimming, wading and paddling pools. Water play livens public spaces and offers endless opportunities for family-friendly fun. The picture above displays our No Fault...

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How Regular Maintenance Protects Your Playground Investment

How Regular Maintenance Protects Your Playground Investment

You spent a lot of money on your playground. That’s why maintaining your playground equipment and safety surfacing is so important! This means looking out for small problems and fixing them before they have the chance to turn into larger, more expensive problems. In...

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No Fault Safety Surface Is Not Just For Playgrounds!

No Fault Safety Surface Is Not Just For Playgrounds!

Here at No Fault Surfaces, we are always talking about playground safety. After all, the complete No Fault Safety Surface System is designed to provide a resilient, porous and unitary playground safety surface. We believe that it’s the best rubber surface available...

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Playground Tips for Children with Disabilities

Playground Tips for Children with Disabilities

Playgrounds are meant for ALL children. Parents and school administrators need occasional reminders that this means including children with disabilities too. Disabilities can range from physical challenges to emotional, behavioral, or learning difficulties. This...

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“IPEMA Certified” – What Does it Mean?

“IPEMA Certified” – What Does it Mean?

What goes into a great playground? A great playground requires fun equipment, engaging layouts, inclusive designs, and safety surfacing for creativity to blossom in a safe environment. For owner/operators and architects responsible for building and maintaining these...

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Children Need Playgrounds!  Here’s Why…

Children Need Playgrounds! Here’s Why…

There’s no doubt about it. Multiple studies have uncovered a correlation between play and academic achievement. Increased physical activity during the school day can help children’s attention, classroom behavior, and achievement test scores. In fact, children in...

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Is There Room for Music on the Playground?

Is There Room for Music on the Playground?

 “Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, music must be a vital part of our children's education.”  —Yo-Yo...

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Why Theme Your Playground?

Why Theme Your Playground?

Everyone wants a playground that is truly one-of-a-kind; one that stands out from all the others. You want children to enjoy a unique and memorable experience they can’t find anywhere else. But let’s face it: It’s getting harder to create a “unique and memorable...

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Parent & Teacher Guide to Keeping Kids Safe During Playtime

Parent & Teacher Guide to Keeping Kids Safe During Playtime

Many of life’s lessons are learned on the playground. As a parent, teacher, or caretaker, you don’t want to “hover” too much. Kids need room to explore and figure things out on their own! Just as you need to guide your child through learning elsewhere in life, you...

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Poured-in-Place or Loose-Fill?  Which is Right for You?

Poured-in-Place or Loose-Fill? Which is Right for You?

Are you building or upgrading a playground in your community? Or are you responsible for maintaining a play area at your school, civic center, or some other place where kids gather to work off that endless supply of energy they seem to have? Either way, you have...

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Why You Should Never Ride Down a Slide with a Child

Why You Should Never Ride Down a Slide with a Child

Spending time with your child on the playground is truly one of life’s simple pleasures. You know these precious years are fleeting, so you want to enjoy them while they last, right? Exploring the playground alongside your child is a great way to enjoy this time...

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Which is Safer?  Rubber or Wood Mulch?

Which is Safer? Rubber or Wood Mulch?

From city parks to playgrounds, recycled rubber tire has been an attractive alternative to wood mulch for decades. It keeps kids safe and protects against falls. However, several people have concerns about whether or not there are health risks from exposure to rubber...

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4 Outdoor Trends in Fitness

4 Outdoor Trends in Fitness

Everyone knows that spending time outdoors is better for you than vegging out on the couch. Kids and adults who spend more time outside see benefits to both their physical and mental health. With spring right around the corner, there’s no reason to be cooped up in the...

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Is Poured-in-Place Rubber Safety Surfacing Actually Safe?

Is Poured-in-Place Rubber Safety Surfacing Actually Safe?

You probably already know that poured-in-place (PIP) rubber surfacing is the most popular playground surface choice for city parks and school playgrounds. The reasons are many. PIP safety surfacing gives you color, designs and theme options that are eye-catching (to...

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Designing a Playground for Children Who Are Blind

Designing a Playground for Children Who Are Blind

The Chicago Lighthouse is a world-renowned social service organization that serves the blind, visually impaired, disabled, and veteran communities. The Chicago Lighthouse wanted a safe, resilient, durable surface for their children’s solarium/play area, which was...

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Trike Paths Give Kids Safe Avenue to Explore

Trike Paths Give Kids Safe Avenue to Explore

Tricycles are a great way for toddlers to explore the world around them. However, neighborhood sidewalks aren’t usually the safest place for small kids and their tricycles. Driveways in front of our homes don’t often give kids enough space to discover either. Even if...

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Danger or Risk? Do You Know the Difference?

Danger or Risk? Do You Know the Difference?

A top priority for those of us who create industry-leading playground safety surfacing is minimizing the risk of injury. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t understand the importance of active, adventurous playtime that allows kids to challenge themselves, discover...

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Renovating Your Playground on a Budget – Part 2

Renovating Your Playground on a Budget – Part 2

This is the second post of the two-part series on renovating playgrounds on a tight budget. It looks at a number of ways to find the funds necessary to make improvements. Funding shouldn’t be a barrier in order to provide kids...

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Renovating Your Playground on a Budget – Part 1

Renovating Your Playground on a Budget – Part 1

This post is the first of a two-part series on renovating playgrounds on a tight budget. It addresses the need for planning. Part 2 will examine a number of ways to fund such renovations. Playgrounds offer opportunities to learn through imagination and exploration....

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