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Backyard Playground Equipment

In this day and age, when parents are faced with rising rates of childhood obesity and lackluster enthusiasm for outdoor activities, no mom or dad wants to have to worry about the dangers posed by their backyard play equipment. However, chemicals used to prevent wood rot may pose greater problems than they prevent. Here's how to keep your kids safe without any added worry.

What to Look For

Play Sets:
The best way to ensure your child isn't exposed to harmful chromium copper arsenate-treated wood is to buy naturally rot-resistant hardwoods such as cedar or redwood or choose wood treated with less-toxic ammoniacal copper quaternary (ACQ) or copper boron azole (CBA).

Recycled plastic and recycled metal sets may prove more affordable and don't pose the problem of deforestation. If you do go with wood, try to find wood sourced from well-managed forests and certified as such by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Sand Boxes:
Although rare, tremolite, a form of asbestos, has been found in some types of sand, and other sandbox sands contain crystalline silica, a carcinogen. Both are easy to avoid; just look for sand intended for use in playgrounds (as opposed to all-purpose sand) that has been washed to remove breathable particles.

Recycled Rubber Play Surfaces:
It's popular now to use ground-up tire rubber for play surfaces. These surfaces do pose health risks to some children, but if rubber is your only option, opt for rubber tiles, rather than rubber mulch or "crumb rubber." Tiles are often sealed with polyurethane and emit fewer chemicals.