Excessive water and mud run off into surrounding areas, creating a mess on patios and paved areas. Organic matter, such as old wood chips or wood mulch, mixes into rubber mulch over time when there is no barrier between them, resulting in an unkempt area that is difficult to maintain without the addition of more mulch.
Rubber Mulch is another alternative: http://rubberecycle.com/. .. I have landscape fabric, then rubber mats under fall zones in my main play .
Installation and Maintenance Instructions for Play Ground Mulch. 1.) Clean. Install landscape fabric under the playground area; hold it in place with sandbags