Decomposed granite, or granite fines, it looks like gritty sand and can be tracked back into the house. If you have wood floors and kids who will track it inside, I wouldn't recommend it. Gravel over weed fabric might be useful for you; cheap, keeps weeds down, and doesn't track inside if you stay away from the smallest pea gravel size. Anything you put down will get moved around by young kids, and kids can also fall down on concrete and get hurt, so where is the additional danger? Get down to a local landscape supply company and compare prices/looks/different materials and see what appeals to you. In your case, I would probably stick with mulch, splinters is not that big of an issue, and it is the cheapest alternative.

Good point that anything will be moved!

Maybe smooth stones, then? I'm concerned that the gravel will have too many rough edges (based on friend's experiences). I've even seen people use larger stones, which would cost more of course, but I like that look - we are in the Bay Area, too, so we see a lot of that desert look. I'll have to check out a landscape supply place. Can you recommend one? I live in Fremont.

I recently fell on gravel (ouch) so it's fresh in my mind. I was just looking into rubber mulch, which sounds like a good solution to our problem. however, I hear there are concerns about gas leaching from it. I have to look into this further..

I would use bagged compost. The stuff I get is finer in texture than a typical mulch product, but still has wood content and holds up for several months. I like the way it looks, too, rather black in color. Use it just like you would a layer of mulch -- spread at least 3 inches thick or more. It feeds the soil, helps retain moisture, and keeps the weeds down. Like bahia said, this is much cheaper and much easier to work with than any other product.

You might also consider using grape seed compost as mulch, it looks very nice and dark, doesn't blow around, and enriches the soil as it decomposes. It is available from American Soil Products in Richmond, right next to Hwy 80 at Central Ave Exit(about a 1/2 mile north along the frontage road). They are open 7 days a week, and have the full range of mulches to compare and contrast.

Cocoa hulls can be a nice fragrant mulch, but they can also be a slimy mess. I find this mulch more trouble than it is worth after using it once, and putting it on too thickly, it really was a slimy mess. Even if chocolate is poisonous in quantity for dogs, I don't think they would be attracted to actually eat cocoa shells...

While your dog may not be interested in eating mulch, mine certainly is. He'll eat anything he can fit in his mouth, sand, mulch, compost, bamboo, really anything.

I'm interested in the cocoa hulls becoming a slimy mess. Do they break down quickly or something?

Cocoa shell mulch compacts to form a dense mass that stays too wet, and then starts to decompose/rot. From personal experience, I wouldn't recommend it. As to whether it is poisonous to pets/dogs, you could consult your vet or look it up on-line.

I think a bark mulch is probably still the best answer for you. My daughter has never gotten splinters from our mulch (we use a finer-ground pine/spruce bark mulch) and it's a soft landing. It may get tracked around a bit, but it's less messy than plain dirt or compost.

Thanks, guys. I am going to check out the alternatives in person. I suppose a finer bark mulch would be okay. I just have nightmares from dealing with my friend's yard and all the bark sticking to their socks (one time my daughter got dozens of fine splinters in her hand!). I think it will help to see everything in person!

I would stay away from rubber mulch, I just read an article on it, There are toxins in the rubber, and also it is highly flammable. Our school district used in a playground, and somehow it caught fire. The fire burned underneath, causing them not catch it right away. I like to use organic material that will break down and add to the soil. Mary

After reading the replies, I am leaning towards a finer, softer mulch. I was imagining the sharper type but I've been paying more attention now and realize there are softer varieties, as mentioned.