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FRANKLYN LEARNING CENTER SETS NEW BENCHMARK IN PLAYGROUND SAFETY (As reported in Shoreline News)

Most parents want their children to have plenty of opportunity to play outside. Running, jumping, and climbing are all essential for growth and development, and getting outdoors is a surefire way to peel a would be couch "tater tot" away from the television or computer games.

But along with the fun and games come risks. With climbing, comes falling; with being outside, comes exposure to the sun. Falls are the single most cause of injuries on playgrounds. Overexposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology alerts parents that children receive 80% of their entire lifetime exposure to the sun by the age of 18.

So how does one manage to reduce some of these risks without limiting their child's opportunities for growth?

Ms. Jacob, one of the owners of the newly opened Franklyn Learning Center, describes her experience.

"When I joined Mothers and More I was able to go to a lot of playgrounds with my children. I found out what playground equipment the children actually liked. I also found out what I didn't like, such as loose mulch ground cover. My son thought it was for throwing, and my daughter thought it was for eating. It was also always thinning out under impact areas such as the slide and swings. Another problem was a lack of shade at most of the parks; especially over the play equipment. Slides and other equipment would become to hot for children to use."

With this in consideration, Franklyn Learning Center, and playground consultants developed a thoughtfully designed playground that sets a new benchmark for all children's playgrounds. From the soaring ShadeSails above the play equipment, to the poured-in-place rubber beneath, children are provided with an extra layer of protection - literally- from top to bottom.

The 65' x 20' ShadeSails installed over the play equipment provide a 95% UV screening factor. Since the suns rays are at their strongest from 10:00am to 4:00pm, it would be difficult to provide all of the children at a childcare center outside play time while limiting overexposure to the sun during these hours. At Franklyn Learning Center children can use the playground throughout the day.

The poured-in-place Rainbow Turf is a permanent surfacing of rubber mulch. No need to worry about "thinning" in impact or high use areas, or it being thrown or eaten. It easily exceeds Federal Guidelines ASTM Testing of playground fall protection. Providing wheelchair accessibility as well as a cushion for legs and joints. Children can ride their trikes on it with no problem. Try that on loose fill!