Recent hurricanes and torrential rains have brought a new danger to children to light --floating playground surfaces. Today, you'll learn how to avoid a tragedy by not believing ?what you see.? To make playgrounds safer for kids, many are covered with a layer of soft material to cushion inevitable spills and falls. These soft surfaces can be any one of a number of materials, ranging from shredded wood to sponge-rubber pellets. But the one thing they all have in common is that they float. This wasn't a problem until recent rains started flooding playgrounds. Suddenly, play areas, that looked fine at first glance, allowed unsuspecting kids to sink in up to their chins. When they stepped on what looked like a solid surface, it was in reality floating on two or three feet of water. Soft surfaces are still a great idea; just be sure to avoid these playgrounds after a heavy rain.