Child friendly ground cover

[Mymumsthebest]

I have a yard of a terraced house which is currently paved with block paving. I want to make a shady corner into a play zone for my toddler. I want to put something down over the paving that will feel softer and less cold for her to sit/kneel on when playing but also not be dirty. There wont be any playground equipment just a little shed and toys. The only thing i can thing of that would work is fake grass but other more eco friendly suggestions would be great as an alternative.

Playground rubber tiles? They are not eco friendly though. Ikea does outdoor rugs, maybe those would work? I would lay out a large waterproof picnic blanket daily if I wanted the surface to be clean tbh.

Fake grass would get at least as dirty as a carpet that you didn’t vacuum.

Personally I don't think fake grass feels nice at all. Foam tiles would work, or an outdoor rug?

It's good for dc to have a chance to explore nature, though, even the dirty bits. Grass and earth are fantastic sensory experiences.

Foam tiles or Lidl have out side mats atm www.lidl.co.uk/en/p/gardening-event/florabest-artificial-grass/p41499

It's not like grass with blades, more like an outside green carpet and cheap too

You could take the slabs up and plant grass. This is the most ecologically friendly solution. However it is a lot of work, not least because you are likely to have to improve the soil,which will be dear if you do it quickly by buying topsoil or time consuming and lots of work if you do it on the cheap. If I owned the house and intended to be there for 5 or more years,I would go for grass. Otherwise, I would go for gravel . You'd need to put in some kind of retaining barrier/wall to stop the gravel spilling out but that should be easy.

I once lived in a rental with slabs, I put down some play mats that I bought of EBay. They sold quite quickly after I'd finished with them. So not eco friendly, but at least they were recycled

Why not plant actual grass?
Even just lift a couple of slabs?
Children need nature, and that could be cut/ trimmed very easily.

Thanks everyone. Some great suggestions here.