Getting kids to stay active is difficult for a lot of parents because you have to compete with screens and many kids would rather sit inside instead of playing outside. But you can encourage your children to play more if you create a nice garden space for them. This means that you can let them play outside without worrying about their safety because they are in a controlled environment and you know exactly where they are.
However, there are a lot of potential hazards in a garden, especially for curious young children that are exploring the world. That’s why it’s so important that you consider safety when you are designing your garden. Here are a few tips to help you create a safe garden environment for your children.
Is Your Garden Safe For Your Children?
Be Careful With Poisonous Plants
You probably want to fill your garden with beautiful plants, but when you are deciding what to plant, you need to check whether they are poisonous or not. Young kids like to put things in their mouth, and this is a big danger if there are a lot of poisonous plants in the garden. Check this list of poisonous plants for children to make sure that you don’t accidentally plant anything that can make them sick.
Stay On Top Of Pests
There are a lot of potential pests in the garden, especially during the summer, so you need to stay on top of them. Mosquitoes can be a big issue in some places, and although they are not deadly, you don’t want your child to get bitten. Companies like Mosquito Authority can help you to keep your garden and home mosquito free all year round. You should also spray plants to avoid any poisonous caterpillars and teach your child not to pick anything up in case it’s dangerous.
Wasps are another big problem in the garden, especially if your child is allergic to them. If you have fruit trees in the garden, you need to pick up any fallen fruit right away before it starts attracting wasps. Make sure to check the trees for any nests as well and if you find any, call in a professional company to remove them. Never try to remove a wasps nest on your own because it can be incredibly dangerous.
Wasps are another big problem in the garden, especially if your child is allergic to them. If you have fruit trees in the garden, you need to pick up any fallen fruit right away before it starts attracting wasps. Make sure to check the trees for any nests as well and if you find any, call in a professional company to remove them. Never try to remove a wasps nest on your own because it can be incredibly dangerous.
Make Ponds Safe
Having a pond in the garden is a great way to attract wildlife and it makes a great centerpiece for the outdoor space. However, water is a big hazard for young children so if you want to keep your pond, you need to make sure that it’s safe. You need to add a fence around the pond so your child cannot get too close, but remember that children like to climb, so make sure that the fence is high enough. Stiff netting over the top of the pond may provide some protection, but it’s still not safe for children, so it’s important that you supervise them at all times. You need to be equally as cautious with other water features around the garden because even a small amount of water can be very dangerous.
Protect Them From The Heat
If your children are playing outside all day long in the summer, they are at risk of heatstroke and sunburn. It’s important that you make sure to apply plenty of sunscreen to protect their skin, but you also need to provide plenty of shade. If there are large trees in the garden, you already have a great shaded area. But if you don’t have natural shade, you should create a patio area with some umbrellas or add a wooden pergola so they can take a break from the sun during the hottest part of the day. You need to be careful with any plastic toys as well because they will get very hot in the sun and can burn your child. Get a few storage boxes to put all of the toys away, so you can keep the garden tidy and you can store them in the shade so they don’t get too hot.
Secure The Fences
Children love to explore, which is great, but you need to make sure that they stay in the garden. If the fences in your garden are old and there are holes or loose panels, your child could easily wander off. If you fix or replace your fence and make sure that all of the gates are secure, you can keep your child safe and protect your home from burglars at the same time.
As long as you follow these safety tips, your child will be able to enjoy your garden safely.
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