Dave poses a good question. And gets some good feedback on the Chalk Bucket forum:
I’m getting ready to purchase new foam for our loose foam pit. This will be the first complete re-fill in years. …
Types & Sizes of Foam: The foam I’m looking at comes in 6″ cubes or 8″ cubes. I’ve gotten a couple conflicting recommendations as to what is best to use.
I’ve heard that larger is better, creating more ’empty space’ between cubes to better absorb the landings.
I’ve also heard that for smaller children, the smaller cubes are better to keep them from getting to the bottom too quickly (slipping through basically).
Our pit (like most I gather) is used by 1 year olds, and full grown competitive gymnasts. I guess it’s not uncommon to have a mix of sizes to best accommodate the variety of shapes, sizes, and weights of the gymnasts. …
From the suppliers I’ve limited it down to, I have available:
CC33145 @ $0.91 (per 6″)
CC44140 @ $1.00 (per 6″)
CC44170 @ $1.19 (per 6″)… I really appreciate anyone with experience in loose foam building/restocking, sharing their experiences.
Ps. I’m also open to supplier suggestions as well, if you have a recommendation.
The Chalk Bucket Gymnastics Community – Help Please! Loose Foam Pit
Big decisions.
There’s no one correct answer. Most important, to me, is to buy the blocks which deteriorate most slowly.
Once they get this “crumbly”, they cause too much of a mess and become a hazard. Replace them.
original photo – Phil Aaronson – flickr
Gymnastics Coaching.com 