4 Benefits of Cork Playground Blocks
Plenty of playground equipment will be fixed in place, but it’s always nice to have some moveable blocks for children to use. These can be stacked and played with in all kinds of ways, so they represent a great way to get children to engage with their imaginations. There are several materials available, but one you might not have thought about is cork.
Here are just four reasons why cork is ideal for playground blocks.
- Eco-Friendly
Cork grows very quickly and can be sustainably harvested very easily. This makes it a lot more eco-friendly than blocks made from other hardwood species, which can take decades to reach maturity. At the same time, staying with a natural material over a synthetic means that no chemicals will have been needed to manufacture your blocks.
- Water Resistant
Cork comes with several practical advantages, and one of the most important is that it cannot be damaged by moisture. This isn’t the case with most types of wood, which is why cork is commonly used in bathrooms and kitchens instead of a traditional hardwood. Of course, water-resistance is going to be even more important when you’re dealing with equipment that needs to spend a lot of time outside.
- Lightweight
Children obviously aren’t as strong as adults, so it makes sense to buy playground blocks that are relatively light. After all, even active and enthusiastic children won’t want to play if the equipment tires them out. Even more important is the fact that lighter materials won’t be nearly as likely to cause any harm. If a cork block falls down and strikes someone or is thrown by one child at another, its lack of weight will dramatically reduce the chance of an injury occurring.
- Quiet
Block play is an important learning tool for young children, but traditional toy blocks can be noisy. Cork has excellent sound-insulation qualities, and it won’t create as much noise as blocks made from other types of wood. Whether your playground is next to a hotel or next to a school, you’ll want to make sure things don’t get too loud, and cork blocks are ideal in that regard.