On an early childhood education subreddit, one teacher expressed their frustration over the plastic grass on their playgrounds.
The Reddit post in the r/ECEProfessionals subreddit pulled no punches about the plastic surface: "I am so annoyed that plastic grass on playgrounds is becoming the trend for childcare centers in my area!" The OP explained that plastic grass causes bad scrapes, wears down quickly, and creates a tripping hazard.
They noted, "younger kiddos are attempting to peel it up and eat it all. the. time. I would rather they eat a handful of grass or dirt than a handful of jagged plastic! Plastic grass makes me wish that every school was a nature school."
The problems with plastic play surfaces go far beyond scraped knees and stumbles. Whether it's plastic grass, tire mulch, or poured rubber, these surfaces often contain harmful chemicals, such as PFAS. According to the National Center for Health Research, toxic turf and playgrounds can contain phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds.
These dangerous chemicals can disrupt hormone balances. One study reported that "cancer risk is approximately 10 times higher in poured rubber surfaced playgrounds than in uncovered soil playgrounds."
These artificial play surfaces pose a public health risk and make playtime less enjoyable and authentic for children. But they're also harming the planet. The chemicals in these materials can leach into and contaminate waterways. And the heat-trapping rubber materials can worsen the urban heat island effect, making cities hotter.
To protect children's health and reduce plastic pollution, schools should opt for natural play surfaces, such as real wood chips or native grass and plants. Not only is this safer for kids, but it can also support local ecosystems and pollinators. Humans need pollinators to bolster the food supply, and pollinators rely on native plants, not plastic grass.
Native plants like clover and buffalo grass can also reduce expenses since they require less water and other resources to thrive. Artificial turf is very costly to install, and the material degrades quickly over time, requiring maintenance or replacement.
Other early childhood educators in the comments were just as frustrated.
One person explained, "One centre I work at actually tells the children not to run outside, because falling on the 'grass' causes such bad grazes. It really defeats the purpose of having grass."
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Majorly 😥 Someone brought up the cancer risks, saying, "There's a woman on TikTok who explains it but turf has insane amounts of forever chemicals and is linked to childhood leukemia."
And another commenter said, "I don't like any of the plastic alternatives that stink like chemicals — I'd rather deal with mud than artificial anything."
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