Question
Hi Jim:

My kids play baseball on my lawn and we have a large   
swingset so now I have patches of dirt where the lawn used to be.  I can reseed but what's the point?
I don't want to use wood chips for the swingset.  I was thinking about Astro Turf.  It would just be used to fill in bare patches.   Do you think this would work.  Any other suggestions?
Thank you.

Jackie

Answer
>>"...what's the point?..."

Regarding an Existentialistic Swing-set:

Actively trodden lawn areas can be difficult to keep covered. If you live in Hort-zones 7+, you can grow BERMUDA GRASS.  This is about the most hardy grass-type for sports activities. Although rough-housing resistant,...it will still get some areas worn-away.
You may be able to find a Sod-supplier in your area, from whom you may purchase a few squares of sod to fill the bill.

Astro-turf probably would not work-out very  well unless it could be secured to a more solid foundation like ply-wood sheathing.  And this may be a surface too hard to be safe for falls. There are other softer sheathing materials, fiber-boards, etc.,  you can look for at the lumber yard (usually coming in 4x8 sections). The astro-turf could be glued or otherwise secured to these.

Non-Chips Weed-Barrier:
A perimeter area could be established around the swing-set using timber-framing (landscaping timbers or fence-posts could be used).  And the interior of this could be lined in WEED-BARRIER.  This would essentially carpet the area directly under the swings.  Mulching materials could also be incorporated under the barrier to make for safer falls. This may not look so great, but would be better than bare dirt perhaps. It would eventually create a dead bare-earth area under the barrier area.  If and when the kids grow bored with the swing-set, you could easily disassemble the weed-barrier platform and re-establish a grass lawn .

Link here to  information about weed-barrier which is sold at most garden centers.
http://www.growers-supply-co.com/dewitt.htm
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