Fake grass recommendations

[CJCoopz]

Hello, first post 😬
We are wanting to convert a currently shingle area of our garden into a play area for our daughter. With a climbing frame.
looking for recommendations for quality fake grass, that doesn’t become too hot to play on, for the play area.
Name/brand of grass appreciated.
Also did you put underlay beneath the grass? Does it drain well when it rains?
Thank you so much

grass24/7 have artificial grass that looks real

Best recommendation is not to use it.

Don’t! I had it when I moved in here, scorching hot in summer, gets weeds come up, hard to clean. Get normal grass - much cheaper too (easy to lay turf on a small patch, just buy top soil spread it a couple of inches thick, unroll turf on top then water it really well (best grass I ever laid was In torrential rain, took beautifully) make sure you water daily if no rain for first 4-6 weeks and don’t cut until it reaches 5 inches or so, ideally a month minimum longer if you can. Best laid in spring or autumn

Haha you'll soon learn. Mumsnet hates fake grass (with good reason).

Wood chip or that rubberised wood chip that you get in council playgrounds is better than fake grass for a play area.

Gently, what is wrong with real grass? Smells lovely, soft to walk and play on, sometimes gets daisies in it… I’ve such happy memories of playing on the grass in my childhood garden.

This

None of it drains well because it's a sheet of plastic.

It's awful. Just get real grass

Fake grass needs laying properly on compacted hardcore, sharp sand with weed membrane etc. However look at other suggestions as above as alternative. Unless you spend a fortune ( properly laid and good quality)it will look awful.

https://theconversation.com/why-artificial-turf-may-truly-be-bad-for-kids-72044

Please, please don't use fake grass. It's so bad for the environment, it smothers everything underneath it and is generally vile. You can get shade tolerant, play resistant grass seed that would be fine in a shady area. Or else use hardwood chips?

Just don't. It's so awful, fugly and no friend of the planet.

Do t use it horrible stuff

What's your reasoning for wanting fake grass? They all get hot, and they all need underlay if you don't want weeds. If you explain we can come up with alternatives.

Bark chippings or sand were my childhood playground cover. I'd choose something that has a bit of bounce for when they inevitably fall off the climbing frame.

I came on to say exactly this. Bloody awful
stuff!

Adding my voice to the chorus of don’t do it. I have a large climbing frame with various attachments over the years - trapeze, swings, climbing ropes etc - that has been used by my grandkids from a 3 year old to a 16 year old. I have real grass, deliberately kept a bit longer than the rest of the lawn, under it. I think most of my grandkids have fallen off at some point, and they’ve had a softer landing than they woukd have had on spiky hot plastic laid on a bed of hardcore.

If you’re really concerned about safety, you can buy special soft paving-style blocks for underneath.

There are plenty of good natural alternatives. A plastic lawn is a terrible idea

the plastic run off is awful and it looks shit. It should be banned.
I can’t fathom why anyone, especially with young children, would even contemplate this tbh.

You were never going to get the response you wanted in the gardening section. Try asking in DIY and you might get some people who have found what you want. I do think it always gets hot though so I don't think there is a way round that.

What's the area like? Why do you think there is shingle there? Is it shady? Would bark chips work?

ugh, not another one

I agree, don’t use it, but I also wanted to say that I wouldn’t use bark chippings. I had them in my beds, and neighbourhood cats were using it as a toilet

@CJCoopz op your likely to get piled on fir asking that question.

Anyway do you have pets if so there's a different way of laying the base and what to use for the base.

Is there a reason you want to use fake grass?

NOOOOOO
FaKe
Grass !!!

terrible stuff

We have plenty real grass elsewhere in the garden so we aren’t reducing grass. We do t want real grass as we plan to put a tall climbing frame there for our daughter. It just wouldn’t he soft/safe enough if fallen on.