tucson: Any ideas on where I can buy them???? Thx.|||Although you are worried about choking on rubber pellets, a child will put pieces of mulch in his mouth, too. Problems with wood mulch - decay, breakage, insects, moisture retention (mushrooms and mold), slivers, and the bits cling to clothing and leave stains. They get tracked inside and make a mess at every doorway. AND, mulch doesn't provide as much protection against falls as pea gravel. Pea gravel is made up of small, smooth stones (like the size of a bean). 4 inches of pea gravel provides as much protection as 12 inches of mulch -- and you probably aren't putting in a foot of mulch. The smooth stones actually shift to absorb the impact of an object falling. They don't harbor insects, dry quickly after rain (if the bottom of the play area has decent drainage), don't cling to clothing, and are easier to sweep back into the play yard. AND the same batch will last for years, instead of having to be replaced each year like the decaying mulch.|||You can buy wood chips at any local hardware store as in Tru-Value, Home Depot or Lowe's. Also where they sell the wood sets that have slides, swings.etc would have them as an accessory or add on to the equipment.|||Lowes or Home Depot should have them. I would look at Rubber Mulch too. Not the Rubber Pellets, the stuff that is a lot more like wood chips.|||my only comment is why wood chips they will decay and also harbor a wide range of insects. I would suggest you try rubber pellets they will last for ever or as long as the play ground equipment does.