Exrunner,

Tempered glass is tough to break but when it does, it breaks into little pieces. This may or may not be good for a younger child. Small children with small pieces of glass beads make a nervous combination.

Another option to consider is laminated glass (hurricane windows). The glass is also tough to break but when it does, the laminate holds broken pieces together so that there are no beads or shards falling anywhere near a child.

Laminated glass is hard to punch through in an emergency. If your enclosed area has egress requirements, surrounding it with laminated glass may not be a good choice. There will need to be safety egress considerations.

Yet another option is to create a removable Lexan wall to separate children from the tempered glass wall. In an emergency, just push the Lexan apart and break the glass. There are many options, it depends on size of your play area and your comfort level.

Good luck!

Thanks calbay.

Read up on laminated glass and it would be an excellent option. The tempered glass is driving the cost of the project up significantly already so I made the call to go that route. My son is 13 now and as he hits puberty I know we are going to have further challenges. If we get to the point where we have to replace it is good to know there is another option.

Tempered glass is probably your better option as far as a price vs. value comparison. If you son hits the window hard enough to break the tempered glass, the laminated glass with break as well. Both will not pose any significant health risk to your son and both will have to be replaced at this point. Big difference being, the laminated glass will cost you more again.

Your other option might be just getting a regular glass replacement window and putting a lexan piece of plastic on the inside of the window.

Worth a shot.