Plan on 9–12 inches in play areas — with playground mulch, the depth is what does the cushioning, and a thin layer defeats the purpose. That is far deeper than bed mulch, so the yardage adds up quickly: a 400 sq ft play area at 12 inches takes about 15 cubic yards. Build in a little extra, too, because the material settles and packs down as kids use it.
Yardage at play-area depths
| 200 sq ft at 9 inches | 6 yards |
| 400 sq ft at 9 inches | 11.5 yards |
| 400 sq ft at 12 inches | 15 yards |
Mulch ships up to 10 yards per truckload, so bigger play areas run two sequenced loads. See Playground Mulch for safety details, and size the area with the material calculator.
