Of all the projects we handle, there’s nothing more satisfying than creating safe, comfortable, synthetic grass play spaces for kids. Installations are very fulfilling when you know you’re creating a field that will be home to countless games of catch, hide-and-seek. Or capture the flag for years to come! We were thrilled when the German International School of Boston asked us to transform their current play area from a dirt-and-gravel lot of approximately 2,700 square feet to a clean, green turf playground of 4,500 square feet.
Plan of Action
Primarily used as a soccer field, the patch to be replaced had a 30 foot by 90 foot play area bordered by a tree-lined slope. Between the barren dirt of the field and the angle of the slope, the school was not able to make the most of the space. They needed something softer, greener, safer and more level—and they needed it to be affordable and maintenance free. We quickly realized that grading the slope and adding a retaining wall doubled the playing surface. We then optimized the space for kids’ use by using a traditional artificial lawn turf with ¾-inch playground padding for extra protection.
Adding to the complexity was the need to install a fence on the top of the retaining wall, a necessity for an urban school play area. Additionally, the presence of a 14-foot-high netting to catch stray balls from flying out of the yard and into the busy street also presented a challenge. Needless to say, we learned several new trades while executing this project. We chiseled fence holes by hand, customized poles to hold the netting. We also pruned trees to accommodate the installation of the fence poles with the net attached. All of this work was well worth it when we saw the kids’ excitement upon “breaking in” their plush new synthetic grass play space. Not to mention the faculty’s relief at knowing the padded play surface would free them from worrying about frequent skinned knees and scraped elbows the hard dirt could cause.
Call Today For A Quote
Do you have a playground that could benefit from the soft landing that kid-friendly artificial grass provides? Contact us at 617-899-2173 to explore your options!
