I am aware that confusion and controversy exists around the use of tyres. I hope this blog post is informative and helpful so that adults who work with children can make sensible decisions based upon their own specific context. It has been written in good faith based upon material I can find out and my own experiences of working outside with children. Should you care to leave a comment, I am particularly interested in links to research and factual evidence, rather than opinions. I genuinely appreciate any such information you can provide. Please note, this article is about the use of whole tyres in children’s play and not the use of shredded or crumb tyres which is a different product. Do not confuse the two.
Using tyres for play purposes
Tyres are a highly versatile open ended resource that can be used by schools and settings for children of all ages and stages. They take hundreds of years to break down if sent to a landfill site, so opportunities to re-use them make a positive difference.
Children enjoy being able to move, stack and manipulate small tyres. Building up a collection for free play at lunch and break times or for use in an early years outdoor space can provide hours of exploration and construction play.
The more different types and sizes provided, the more inventive and complex the play seems to become. Just bear in mind the developmental level of your children and their ability to move tyres around. For example, older primary children like the challenge of using bigger tyres. Yet for a 3-yr old, the challenge of pushing a motorbike tyre may be sufficient.
Some schools decide to keep tyres on the playing field. Others are happy to have them used on hard surfaces. In my experience, children adapt their play accordingly.
Tyres are a form of climbing equipment. Children need opportunities to climb, balance and jump in different ways. The nursery where the above photo was taken, had a selection of tyres that the children would move about to create obstacle courses and to clamber in and out, up and down. Naturally other loose materials were woven into the play.
As well as physical activities, tyres can be used in other ways. For instance, have a look at how to create splash pools from tyres and tarp.
Looking after your tyre collection
Tyres can be sourced from local garages. However they will need reassurance that you will take responsibility for the tyres and not hold them liable for any damages. Furthermore, it then becomes the school’s job to look after the tyres, to keep them maintained and dispose of them in an environmentally responsible manner once they are no longer fit for purpose.
- Only accept or obtain tyres that are intact. Inspect thoroughly and ensure they have have no piercings (such as a nail going through the wire) and no exposed wires and strips. They have a metal mesh inside and once the rubber wears down this can come loose. Remember to check inside the tyre as well as on the outside surface. Use heavy duty gloves to do this, and continue to check your tyres on a regular basis for wear and tear. Replace as necessary and promptly as they can very quickly deteriorate and become sharp. Only use tyres that are in good condition.
- Clean the tyres thoroughly using detergent and water. Check that the tyre surface will not leave black marks on clothing or hands. Some tyres are softer than others and cause more markings. If this is the situation, remove these tyres.
- If you paint your tyres, please see the advice in the “Painting Tyres” section.
- If tyres get dirty during play, wash them down with a hosepipe or scrub them with a little soap and water. It’s a lot of fun for children to do this!
- Unless your tyres are covered up, they will collect rainwater! Watch this doesn’t become stagnant and empty out daily.
- In countries where snakes and spiders exist, then painting the insides white and teaching children to check carefully before using are sensible measures to put in place.
- Tyres can get very hot on hot days. In Scotland this really isn’t a significant issue. In hotter countries think about providing sufficient shade especially if tyres are left out to bake in the sunshine!
- If you are worried about use of tyres during evenings and weekends, then running a chain through the tyres and padlocking the line of tyres to a fence or other secure fixing may help prevent this occurrence.
- Some local authorities have guidelines in place about where and how tyres may be stored. This is to reduce the chances of tyres being used to access buildings or being burnt in wilful fire raising. Double check whether such advice exists in your area.
- Make sure that the use of tyres is included in a risk benefit assessment and you have procedures in place for managing the risks and maintaining the tyres.
Creating play features from tyres
It would seem that there are infinite possibilities for creating play and learning features from tyres. Tyres fixed together to create structures must not create wedge trap points. Bear in mind that the examples given below are from establishments that have much experience in creating and building structures. I do not have this knowledge and skill set. For further guidance, Playground Ideas is the go-to website.
In the photo below, the staff at Adventure Aberdeen have been skilled at developing their outdoor space making good use of tyres. In the background have a look at the dirt bike track and how tyres have been used to create the different levels.
In the middle ground, the tractor tyres have been covered with boards. This can be a good approach to storage but it is also used for team-building challenges. Likewise the tyres in the foreground are part of a low ropes challenge.
Highway Farm makes very good use of tyres on their site. The photo above is of a much loved construction zone in the Little Explorers Outdoor Pre-school. By placing tyres vertically, low-cost climbing structures have been created.
Children love the feeling of enclosure and will frequently stack tyres up for this purpose. At Highway Farm, the children dug a deep pit and created a tyre prison. Of course it is easy to climb up and out!
Tyres can be used as borders. In the example below, they separate gardening areas from the path. I like that the children can also use this form of edging for walking along! All that’s needed is a bigger monster head at one end and you have a Loch Ness Monster edge!
This den at Highway Farm has added attachments for look outs! By infilling the tyres, the structure becomes much more stable.
Very often, vertical tyre tunnels can be made by lining up tyres. Look at the bark chips in the example below. These have been added to reduce the chances of other stuff in the cracks. If you put gravel below tyres and ensure there are holes drilled for drainage then less water will build up.
Sherry and Donna who formerly blogged at Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning created a tyre sand pit. They used bamboo sticks and materials to create a den or “cubby”. They have kindly allowed me to show you what this looks like:
This sort of den would appeal to most children of any age! Tyres make great places to house other materials. As well as sand or soil, consider, gravel, coffee beans, pine cones, shells and other natural materials.
Tyres for gardening
Permaculture enthusiasts seem to have lots of ideas for using tyres in gardening projects. I would recommend the book Getting Started in Permaculture by Jenny Mars. Here’s some ideas I’ve seen during the past few years:
It’s hard to believe that this miniature pond at the Rosmarynek Permaculture Garden in the Czech Republic has been created within a large tractor tyre. It is possible to disguise tyres very well!
Another clever idea is to use tyres as storage! Look at how this school has used tyres to hold their supply of bamboo canes!
This planter represents the sun in a “Rainbow Garden”. I like the way the children chose marigolds to plant there. If you do paint tyres, it does look better if the flowers grown there complement the colour of the tyre. It’s a good idea to line tyres with a porous mesh right up to the rim so that the soil can be contained should you need to move it about. Tyres can also be stacked up for plants that have deeper root systemsor to enable children to access them without the need to bend over.
At this nursery, the tyre planters are used as traffic islands in the cycling area. The advantage of large tractor tyres is that they are immovable and the plants won’t be damaged by children bumping into them. The wide rim can also be used for sitting or playing on too.
For me, the best use of a tyre has to be as a swing. Tied to a tree. Do you remember the hours of fun to be had? For good advice about rope swings, then have a look at this Forestry Commission document. It is also worth getting hold of Children’s Tree Swings – A Guide to Good Practice published by London Play. Bear in mind nylon brace tyres are safer for swings because of their impact absorbing qualities.
For lots more ideas about creating play features out of tyres then have a look at the Pinterest boards of Rachel at Stimulating Learning and others. It is always worth seeking professional advice to ensure any structures meet playground equipment standards (or whether they need to, depending on what is being proposed).
Health and environmental issues around the use of tyres
A commonly asked question when I work with schools on loose parts play or developing their grounds is that of safety around tyres. The production and composition of tyres involves the use of hazardous chemicals and metals. So it is reasonable to consider the health and environmental impacts of tyres in children’s play.
1. Shredded tyres in children’s play areas and artificial playing surfaces
There is research about shredded tyres and the use of recycled tyre crumb rubber on artificial playing surfaces. The US Environmental Protection Agency is conducting research and states “Limited studies have not shown an elevated health risk from playing on fields with tire crumb, but the existing studies do not comprehensively evaluate the concerns about health risks from exposure to tire crumb. We are committed to supporting more comprehensive efforts to assess risks from tire crumb.“
I am still looking for research about the use of whole tyres in children’s play. This is very different to the use of shredded and crumbed tyre products, not least because of the difference in surface area – the whole tyre will have a significantly smaller surface area. Thus the amount of hazardous material which can make its way into the environment is likely to be considerably less. Furthermore, crumb tyre undergoes a range of treatments in the manufacturing process which make it a very different product. In relation to other risks around the production and use of cars and other vehicles, along with road accidents, perhaps being concerned about tyres in children’s play is less of an issue.
2. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
When I have raised the matter, one response has been that tyres contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). This group of chemicals are produced in incomplete combustion of organic matter such as wood, coal, or oil. The German Federal Environment Agency produced an informative and readable summary of concerns in 2012 and explains why. According to the report an EU-wide threshold value for PAH-containing extender oils in car tyres has been in effect since January 1, 2010. The limits for tyres are lower than for children’s toys (p11) such as bicycles and scooters. In my opinion, the range of products containing PAH is so huge that singling out wholes tyres would be strange in the context of the PAH concerns, debates and actions.
3. Microplastics and tyres
This is a genuine concern linked to tyres. Friends of the Earth have published two relevant articles which you can read here and here. Basically tyres shed micro plastics, like all other manufactured items containing plastic. A quick check of your clothing and your children’s clothing is likely to establish that you are wearing items that shed micro plastics. So rather than rush to exclude tyres, consider your approach to purchasing and plastics in general and phase out the purchase of such resources.
4. The use of tyres in gardening
Another concern that is sometimes raised is around the use of tyres for gardening and the potential for chemicals leaching into the soil. I continue to find inconclusive evidence that this is something to worry about. However I would genuinely welcome references to specific research on this matter (not opinions but actual links to published research documents) to help me find out more. Again, perhaps here, we need to be thinking in a broader context about the need to repurpose tyres in so many societies world-wide. Common sense here suggests that if you are concerned, then don’t grow fruit and vegetables or other edible crops in tyres.
5. Anything else about tyres and environmental impacts?
Tyre dumps are a recognised fire hazard. Whilst they are hard to ignite, once they are on fire they burn at high temperatures, emit toxic fumes and can burn or smoulder for a long time. Big piles of thousands of tyres though is very different to having a few made available for play purposes. Nevertheless educators and play workers should be aware of this when storing tyres and manage this risk accordingly.
Painting tyres
One question that frequently arises on social media sites and which is mentioned below is that of what paint to use on tyres. I’ve never painted tyres myself as I find for gardening, unpainted tyres better highlight the plants and foliage. Aesthetically, I prefer unpainted tyres. for play purposes, the paint may wear off quickly with all the moving around. Bright colours can look a bit garish so consider using pastel colours if you must paint them.
The painted tyres illustrated in this post were painted with various paint types – knowing what paint is “safe” is tricky to answer because it depends upon the hazard which you are worried about and whether the intended use of the tyres would aggravate that risk. It’s worth doing thorough research as to whether the risk is significant and needs to be managed. If you remain concerned regardless, then contact the manufacturers of eco friendly paint and ask for their advice about its suitability for use on tyres.
Cosy sell painted tyres but it is worth noting that they cannot guarantee the paint will stay on. The reason for this is that tyres are all slightly different in tread pattern and composition – some tyre surfaces seem to take paint and others it just flakes off!
Over the years, various practitioners have told me or I have read on social media sites they have used different paints including acrylic deco marker pens, bathroom paint, ordinary emulsion paint, gloss paint, spray paint, Cuprinol, masonry paint and Bedec multi-surface paint. Perhaps the most sensible approach is to do a test patch prior to a massive painting job and be sensible – read the label and check it is suitable for use on tyres first.
Final words on the use of tyres in children’s play
The only way to truly address the issue of tyres is reduce our use of cars and other transport that rely on their manufacture and campaign – see Friends of the Earth links above – to change their composition. Please do not remove tyres from your play area through a lack of understanding of the whole context within which the use of tyres is situated. Get familiar with the issues. Be tight about your protocols around their acquisition, use and disposal. Do your bit to make the world a better place.
All-in-all, I hope this blog post is of use and perhaps a good place to start effectively examining some of the issues raised. I look forward to your comments 🙂
(This blog post is an up-dated and revamped version of a previous post I first wrote in 2010 and updated in 2017. Latest update June 2022 ).
Wow aren’t tyres amazing play things, who would have thought they were so versatile. A friend of mine used a couple of tyres to create a frog bog.The rim of the tyres gave the frogs a ledge to hide on out of the water. The frogs loved it!
Donna 🙂 🙂
craig.downing82@gmail.com
my daughter was playing with a tyre and was told not to another child then rolls a big tyre into my daughter’s leg causing a big bruise on her leg for over a week when i challenged this with my daughter’s teacher it became heated and i felt it was a health and safety issue for this to then turn into an argument with her teacher because she couldn’t understand why i was upset that my daughter had been hurt and excuses were being made i have no objection to tyres been used in activities in school but to allow children to roll car wheels and tyres down a hill i’m saying it’s a health and safety issue i’m now wondering how i go about making a complaint and finding out whether the tyres are allowed to be played with during play time where smaller children play than my daughter this dispute is still on going and i’d like to know if there’s any information you can give me on this many thanks
Hi Craig – thanks for your reply. I hope you daughter is okay now. I can’t comment on specific incidents because it’s not appropriate on a blog. There are lots of different sizes and weights of tyres: motorbike tyres, go kart tyres, and so on. It could be that a range of tyres could help as they are such a versatile item. I’ve worked in nurseries where car tyres are much loved, but a lot depends on the culture, confidence of staff, layout of the outdoor space, etc. as to what works and what doesn’t. One size/weight doesn’t fit all!
The Loose Parts Play: A Toolkit (2019) does have guidance about introducing and managing items which are not traditional toys into schools and early learning and childcare settings. This is Scottish guidance, Wales also has its own equivalent. Children can be actively involved in creating sensible rules around playing with such items which can also help reduce incidents.
In terms of health and safety, the thing to ask is if there has been other tyre related incidents – is there a pattern of accidents or incidents So logging of incidents could be one approach undertaken by the school – and again, the children could be involved here so that a realistic picture is built up of what is going on, as seen from the children’s own experiences and therefore more accurate. The other thing is to find out if there is a risk benefit assessment of playtimes and what measures are in place to manage or reduce the risk of serious harm as far as is reasonable.
Finally, it’s worth asking how your child feels about the incident. Is she upset or frightened or not really? How can you best support her to enjoy playtimes? Her school should have a pupil council where concerns can be raised by children and again, this means they are actively involved in addressing issues that matter to them.
I’m sorry I can’t provide a specific answer – just suggestion to move the matter forwards positively, not least for your daughter’s sake and the freedom of all children to have brilliant play times.
We are in the process of turning a huge tractor tire into a drum for our outdoor music area! I hope to have photos up and a blog update on it within the next week! Great post with lots of wonderful ideas!
http://www.childcentralstation.blogspot.com
well done. good pics
I’m very inspired by this post, Juliet! I need to get my parent community out their searching for old tires. We only have one pathetic one right now and it gets used every day.
Thanks for all your feedback. Donna and Sherry this is one of my current gardening project. The hole is dug, the tyre is there.
A tyre drum – amazing. I think we’ll all have to mosey over for a look on your blog @child central station.
There is always that dilemma about how many tires to have. I’ve seen photos of one school near Manchester who created a Formula 1 racing place with lots of tyres piled up. They even managed to find an old bus that was converted into an outdoor shelter beside the track.
Hi i wondered if you could advise as to what tyre i should use for a half tyre installation i.e. the tyre being half under ground. When i look and the tyres abd press down they seem to give worried that they wont hold a weight of 8 yr olds. Thank you in advance
Hello Lindsay – I have not installed tyres in this way before so I can’t advise. However Playground Ideas is a super organisation and you may find advice on their website: https://playgroundideas.org
Thanks for telling me about this post! It really answered a lot of the questions I had about maintenance and painting of the tires!
I also LOVE the fresh ideas you put on here! I can’t wait to show my director, and put some of these ideas into effect! 🙂
Thanks very much – good luck with your tyres and enjoy using theme!
A year & a bit later – thanks for sharing this post. I am actually excited to get back & stuck in having fun with the tyres!
I can understand all fun kids are having by using tyres,but in my case it turned up as a big problem! My neighbours put tyre on rope (handmade) just in front of my property. Every day someone is crying because of failing off it, every time kids are trying to stop using their feet the cloud of dust is flying in to my windows,so I can’t even open them during the day.This swing became a nightmare for our family…
Hello Ann
I’m so sorry to hear this. It sounds like the tyre swing is in the wrong place and on a hot day, not to be able to open a window is very frustrating. I have no answers – only suggestions which perhaps you have already tried. My first would be to find another place for the tyre swing and offer to move the swing there – and explaining why. It’s also worth asking the children for their ideas about a better place.
I wish you the very best with you problem.
Juliet
Madam,Its wonderfully designed the school ground with tyres,My wife helen and I opend a school in Uttar Pradesh (India)near Indo-Nepal boarder,we are really blessed through your books and articles
Dear Zacher
Thanks for your comment – I hope your school is doing well and your children are given daily opportunities to play and learn outdoors. I’m interested that you have got in touch as I often think that the use of unwanted items and natural materials provides a common link between schools worldwide.
Best wishes
Juliet
Hi we are thinking of painting our tyres different colours in the children area but not sure what paint to use , what paint is child safe for tyres to play with ?
Hello Gary
That’s a very good question and to be honest I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never painted tyres myself as I find for gardening, unpainted tyres better highlight the plants and foliage and for play purposes, the paint may wear off quickly with all the moving around.
The painted tyres illustrated in this post were painted with various paint types – knowing what paint is “safe” is tricky to answer because it depends upon the hazard which you are worried about and whether the use of the tyres would aggravate that risk. It’s worth doing your research here too as to whether the risk is significant and needs to be managed. If you remain concerned regardless, then it is probably worth contacting the manufacturers of eco friendly paint and asking for their advice.
Cosy sell tyres but it is worth noting that they cannot guarantee the paint will stay on. The reason for this is that tyres are all slightly different in tread pattern and composition – some tyre surfaces seem to take paint and others it just flakes off!
Hi. I have been reading the ‘dangers’ of using tyres…. apparently they give off cadmium which is toxic. New tyres are bad for more reasons. Says tyres should be really scrubbed, painted….
Old tyres pick up tar and other exhaust matter, which on children unlike adults that would immediately wash hands and not touch face or mouth…. yes sounds great to save environmental fills, but these tyres are not firstly made for child use…. has this been throughly checked?
Hello Jo
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Can you provide me with the links to the research about what you are stating? I’m finding people tell me all sorts of interesting information about the dangers of tyres without linking to research. I’m seeking for evidence-based concerns.
All tyres should be carefully checked as I’ve stated. They do need to be cleaned prior to use by children or for any purpose. I’m sorry if I’ve not make this sufficiently clear in the blog post.
Hi there I was wondering if you could help me. I want to position tyres vertically so they are upright for climbing on in a child’s playground but I don’t know if they have to be concreted in once they are partially buried?
Thank you!
Thanks Catherine – this is a really good question. I’ve never done this to tyres so I’m not sure. It may be worth asking around – RoSPA may be able to advise here. I think much would depend upon the sizes of your tyres.
hi madam
i m looking for different ideas to create my kindergarden with tires
I hope the post has given you a few to get you started….
thank you i will post some pic once my guys are done with building
Regarding Risk Assessment with unfixed or restrained tyres in a school play area.
An actual incident: An 11 year old pupil decides to roll a typical car size tyre in a play area for fun etc, and it collides with a 5 year old pupil – striking his mouth, and knocks out two of his front teeth – who is responsible?
What guidance/ specific instructions/ active rules, regarding pupil supervision and behaviour in such play areas, are given to Head Teachers/ Parent Councils etc regarding appropriate/ realistic Risk Assessment from the Local Authority etc concerned?
David A. (Retired Secondary Head of Department & Adviser in Education)
Hello David
Firstly I am really sorry to hear of this incident and how it clearly has impacted on 5yr old child, the child’s parents and the school.
Regarding responsibility, I can’t answer as every situation is different and also I don’t think it’s appropriate on a blog which is open to be read by all.
The Loose Parts Play Toolkit does provide guidance on the how to introduce and manage loose parts play in Scottish schools. Different local authorities take different measures from offering no advice to ones which have actively implemented loose parts play – Orkney Council being the main example in Scotland.
Do you know the best paint to use, if it is going to be used on a playground?! Problem we have now is rubber transferring to the kids clothes! It’s almost impossible to get out of the clothes. Looking for answers regarding outdoor use/non transferable paint.
Thanks!!!
As the blog post states, you need to remove and dispose of safely and replace the tyres where the rubber is marking children’s skin, clothing or the environment. Painting is probably not a solution but I have commented about painting in the blog post.
Hi, great blog! I have had a delivery of tyres for loose parts play from a local garage, only to be told by my management team, that there is lots of legislation and H&S issues, and I can’t use them, and they will need to be checked by a qualified person! Ironically we already have some tryres that the children have been playing with for years! Any advice?! The caretaker and I did a thorough check of the tyres and were planning to jet wash them before use! I can’t find any information about not using tyres in school, but have been assured there is lots of red tape! Also was told that for my digging pit we need a licence !!!
Advice needed! Thanks
Hi Carl
Firstly, your management team is your management team and it sounds like you probably need to check in advance about the type of resources and the quantity you need that passes muster with them in advance of acquiring what you need. It sounds like your management team are worried about something. Is it the chances of an accident happening? If so, what do your first aid and accident record books show? It may be a bit laborious, but going back through 3 yrs of accident and first aid records provides a very clear picture of where accidents happen, what the cause is and the nature of the injury. You have tyres so this may be one element.
Another thing here is the size of tyres. Big tyres can be hard to stop once they begin to roll. So do you need to consider precisely what tyres you have and whether they are fit for your children.
The risk of fire is a genuine concern in that wilful fire raising can be an issue. Again, looking at after hours use and the incidence of vandalism can help. Furthermore, your local crime prevention officer should be able to advice on whether wilful fire raising is an issue in your locality. Thinking about how and where you store tyres can reduce the risk – locked in a strong shed, away from the school building is one possibility.
If that’s not good enough, then think about how you actively look after the tyres and any other loose parts. What checks are in place to ensure all your loose parts are being looked after? How often does this happen? Is a record kept? How are loose parts disposed of? This can be an issue when it comes to tyres as companies have to pay for their disposal. Thus your management team may be thinking of the whole cycle (forgive the pun).
Finally, a few tyres usually are not a significant issue. But a large number can be problematic in terms of taking them in and out of a shed, or running a chain through them and padlocking away from a building, emptying daily of water, and so on.
I’m sure you’ve already thought of all of this. I wish you well. I have to say I’m curious about the need for a digging licence. That’s new to me. Is that a licence to dig into the ground? A licence to use a spade? An alternative here can be to have a raised digging bed.
If you are based in Scotland then the Loose Parts Play: A Toolkit does provide commentary on tyres. Unless you are planning to install the tyres as part of a playground, then I’ve not heard of any requirement for a check by a qualified person – whatever that may mean. But I am based in Scotland.
Different local authorities have different expectations around the use of tyres. Even within local authorities different professionals provide different advice. So, this is why I can’t provide definitive advice for such a situation. Perhaps other readers of this article and are willing to comment.
Best of luck – Juliet
This is the best tyre reuse article I have ever read. Tyre Recycling and reuse is the best way to save the environment. Recently we published article and infographic about tyre recycling. You can read this article here: https://tjctransport.co.uk/blog/how-to-dispose-of-tyres-recycling/. You can shere these tips with others too.
Tyres from vehicles contain many toxins including arsenic and lead, the two most dangerous chemicals to humans in the environment. Children should not be encouraged to play with tyres and these toxic substances must be removed immediately from children’s play areas. There is no safe limit for Lead in humans.
https://adeptus.co.uk/waste-management/shreded-tyres-health-risk-contamination/
Hi Simon – thanks for this really good link. The article is balanced but disappointingly the use of whole tyres in play is not covered. Shredded tyres are very different as I’ve discussed in my blog post. The risks of ingestion of material from a whole tyre is very different to shredded tyres, given the sensibilities of most children, e.g. tyre licking is uncommon, and staff would be aware of individual children prone to doing this, and there are good hand hygiene procedures in place that expect everyone to wash their hands before eating and many ask this of children after play times. Furthermore, for concerned educators, I’m wondering if environmentally friendly paint covering the tyres would reduce the perceived risk? TBH the real issue to begin with is our societies reliance on tyres, the pollution from cars in all its start to finish manufacturing, use and disposal and the sheer number of children killed on the roads. So rather than picking out tyres in playgrounds, perhaps as a society we focus our time and efforts on this bigger picture, rather than once again penalising children by removing items that have a high play value based on perceived concerns rather than strong evidence.
Another well researched blog thank you. I think it’s so important to focus on re use and recycle. Often it’s difficult for schools to be able to re use and hopefully blogs like this will enable them to focus on a more sustainable approach to sourcing resources and to re use where possible which is normally free/ cheap. saving budgets to buy long lasting quality resources with as low as possible carbon footprint which may cost more than cheaper alternatives imported from a long way away.
This shows how to reuse and recycle this is a well written article thanks for sharing this information to us it will make our environment clean and good really thanks for this article.
Hi, I’m trying to do some research on playing with tyres in swimming pools. My husband has been putting them in the pool for the kids to play around with. is this bad for the kids and the water? thanks in advance
Hi Suzanna. Thank you so much for your query. I have to be honest and say I’ve no idea. I hope that other visitors to this blog post may be able to give links or opinions. Common sense says ensure the tyres are clean before immersion, removed after the pool session and dried off, are checked regularly for deterioration and so on. However I don’t know what the impact of chlorine or other chemical which you may use in your pool is and whether the water temperature also impacts. A chemistry teacher or specialist may have reasonable suggestion here.
Lots of great ideas, unfortunately not one comment about latex/rubber allergic and sensitive children and adults.
Thank you Lisa. I’ve not yet encountered this as an issue and the blog post is based on my lived experiences and conversations with practitioners and researchers. However, as with any allergy, it makes sense to discuss your concerns with your school or ELC setting to find ways of managing this.
Is there a way of stopping tyres making marks on children’s clothing?
Hello Peter
Thank you for your comment. I’m sorry if you have been experiencing marks on children’s clothing. In the “Looking after your tyre collection” I have commented upon this: “Clean the tyres thoroughly using detergent and water. Check that the tyre surface will not leave black marks on clothing or hands. Some tyres are softer than others and cause more markings. If this is the situation, remove these tyres.”
Basically, prevention is better than cure. When you are choosing tyres for play, this is something to check for and to keep checking for. If you can take a piece of white cotton or similar material and rub the tyre you can see if it makes a mark. Do not accept tyres that leave this sort of residue. If a tyre starts to leave black marks, then I advocate removing them from the collection. One alternative MAY be – and I emphasise the “may” as I’ve never done this myself – to experiment with painting the tyre, but I think this would lead to further problems in the future. Perhaps others are more experienced and can comment.
Because I’m pedantic this way, I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve needed to deal with tyres leaving marks on children’s clothing other than the odd bit of dirt which can easily be washed off. It’s why I always went and sourced the tyres myself to ensure they were fit for purpose. I hope this helps.