Backyard play area

I have been thinking about what would be the best thing to put down on the ground, in my Twins Backyard play area. Right now it is basically dirt, dead grass, weeds, and some interlocking foam play mats.

 The recent freezing cold weather we have had in December 2010 and January 2011 has wreaked havoc on our lawn, especially in the backyard play area.

I hate how in photos it looks so ugly with lush green weeds and yucky yellow and tan grass. Oh and the dirt.  ick.

I "built" up the backyard play area for my Twins and also for their playmates. I am the organizer of a playgroup with around 100 Moms in it. We have mostly Moms of singletons but also have Moms of Twins and Triplets in the group too. I wanted to create a really fun and functional backyard play area that all of the children could really enjoy. They all have a blast out there. We usually have 8-10 children out there playing at each playdate. I really enjoy seeing my Twins interact with their little friends and build friendships, as well as seeing my Twins and all of the children in the playgroup have an awesome time. I made sure to choose items that would work out well so that the children did not feel left out of playing any particular activity,. There are 2 climber/slides, a large enclosed trampoline, 1 large sandbox and sand table, 2 water tables, plenty of ride ons, 2 kiddie pools, bouncy house, seating and a picnic table for snacking, a finger painting station,  and plenty of things to pick up and play with! We rarely see the children fight over toys. They just play and have a blast together!

 I use tarps under the pools and foam tiles around and under certain toys for various reasons. The ground just looks so uninviting though. It is so brown/yellow and dull.

 

  

 It's great out there but the ground is icky in my opinion. I had looked into different materials available, but wow are they pricey. I really don't want to mess around with mulch. I think mulch is a pain in the rump. Plus ants can hang around in mulch just as much as they can in dirt or grass. We really do not have an ant problem out there right now, but we have in the past 2 years. The ants come and go. I prefer they go and stay away.  I have made up some chemical free mixtures to put down and that seems to be keeping the ants away. I hope it really does keep them away.

I would love to have one of those rubbery commercial playground floors, ya know the kind that looks like a bunch of squares but is soft or bouncy. I am pretty sure those kinds of floors are quite pricey.

I am wondering what my readers have for the ground in their children's backyard play area?  I hate the thought of having to grow grass and then keep mowing it. I don't like having to move everything and move the gating around the play area.

I will have to look around town at the hardware stores like Lowers or Home Depot. Maybe I am overlooking something that could be inexpensive and nice.