"Robbin" wrote in message
...

Is there any alternatives to organic mulch that is "permanent?"
I am thinking (wild guess here) something like recycled tires,
platstics, etc that does not need to be replenished.

I would think that Helga Walters (Housekeeper) would be the one to ask.
Perhaps she will "honor" our little group and provide the answer that only
she could provide! On the chance that this is a serious question, I'm sure
that many others on the list will chime in with their opinions. :-)

Children often fall off, Robbin, and the application of mulch of any kind
simply encourages the child to believe it is OK to do so. If anything,
playing-surfaces should be raised to a level where falling off of any
description would become a painful (if not maiming) experience, and
shock-absorbing mulch should of course be replaced with something less
likely to attract a child into falling, such as discarded electrical wire,
or cats which you've been teasing.

Psychology can play a part, too. For instance, when Sir Edmund Hillery was
going through his 'Himalayan' stage I took to arranging deer around the base
of his mountains, knowing that should he think of falling off before
reaching the summits his fear of the deer would act as a lever, driving him
ever onward towards the top.

I know - Sir Edmund WASN'T a child at that stage, but that just goes to
prove that the younger you start the better it can be for all of us!

Best wishes
Helga Walters (Housekeeper)
http://www.the14thdisciple.com