I think I've seen quite a few past posts with people complaining they capture dirt and dust underneath

Agree with Pal. I was living with friends when they installed seagrass wall to wall in their upstairs. It's beautiful but very hard to walk on. Would never lay on it. So, depends on how old your kids are. I would rather go for wall to wall wool of some sort. Much softer and comfy for playrooms and bedrooms.

Agreed! I bought a beautiful seagrass area rug from an estate sale that I love over my hardwoods and with my leather sofa and loveseat. It looks great, but there is not a day that goes by that the kids don't drag out a comforter or blanket to lay over it to sit on the floor to play or watch tv. I can't imagine it being the only surface to walk across in a home. It feels funny when/if it gets wet, too. I know I sound like a Negative Nelly. but I love the look and I'll never get rid of mine!

Thank you everyone! Would it be appropriate to treat as a hardwood floor and plan on an area rug on top, or would you find that too high maintenance?

" I would lie down on the floor and I ended up looking like a waffle. "
Oh my goodness this made me laugh.

Do you have any pets? I don't own any (seagrass), but I don't know how well any type of accident would clean up.

We have a room-sized seagrass rug covering unattractive tile in our family room and another one in our kitchen. As others have said, it's very hard on the feet (and whatever other body part you put on it). On the other hand, we have a young son and pets, and it wears like iron. Spills and pet stains come out easily with water and it never looks dirty or worn. Added bonus: seagrass area rugs are super-cheap.

If you want a bit of softness, layering another rug on top is a great option.

Yes, that's true- they are affordable . Wool carpets may be softer, but at a much steeper cost.

A designer I work with recently used a jute oval rug in a room that was actually soft. I'll see if I can find the link.

These are just area rugs, and not seagrass, so not what the OP was looking for, but this jute feels soft, if you like the look of natural fiber rugs. You could sit on it without waffling!

http://www.naturalarearugs.com/jute-area-rugs/castillian.php

Very helpful, everyone. Thank you!