Making Your Backyard Safe For Kids

Outdoor play is still possible even if you can’t bring your kids to the playground. A spacious and safe backyard can serve as a place where little babies and toddlers can relax or explore to their heart’s content. Your little ones and their friends or siblings will have a grand time when they watch leaves change colors, run on the grass, or simply wander around the yard. Here are some great tips for making your yard safe and secure for your kids.

Get rid of deadly plants

There’s really nothing more majestic than the sight of colorful flowers in your backyard. Toddlers will definitely learn a lot from watching these beauties grow and bloom. If you’re lucky enough, you and your little one might even get to watch bees or butterflies dancing right above your poppies and sunflowers during the summer.

That being said, there are many beautiful but deadly flowers that you should watch out for. Some flowers can entice babies and toddlers with their bright colors and beautiful petals. You might even end up having to rush your little one to the emergency room if any dangerous plants in your backyard have been chewed, eaten, or touched. Before you allow your kids to explore your garden, check thoroughly for any dangerous plants like poison ivy and hydrangeas first. Remove anything that can cause poisoning, itchy skin, or deadly allergic reactions. Watch out especially for mushrooms as they can poison kids if they’re touched or nibbled.

 

Allow plenty of space

Energetic toddlers and curious babies won’t benefit much from wandering in a place that’s as narrow as a closet. When making an outdoor play area for your kids allow just as much open space as possible. This will ensure that kids have plenty of opportunities to run around, explore new areas, and develop essential motor skills. Your kids will also be less likely to trip or bump into fences when they place somewhere open and spacious. If possible, try also installing a sandbox or kiddie pool to better nurture your child’s sense of play and curiosity.

 

Build a fence

Fences are vital to safe backyard play. They keep dangers out and help kids learn about safe boundaries at an early age. Any fence, whether it be wood or mesh wire, is more than qualified to ensure maximum protection for you, your pets, and your young kids. When building your own fences, remember to keep slats narrow enough so that your toddlers’ heads don’t get stuck. Sand off any splinters, sharp edges, and loose nails so that they don’t scratch skin or stick to clothing. It’s also best to fence off decks as well as your yard so that your child doesn’t fall from a dangerous height.

 

Secure water features

Pools, small ponds, fountains, and other water features should be locked tight and fenced off. Anything that can collect a few extra inches of water will become a drowning hazard if it isn’t secured properly. Hot tubs and other objects that produce heated water will also scald and burn, so do keep them turned off and secured when not in use. If you really need to use your hot tub, only do it when your child isn’t wandering around in the yard since small splashes of hot water are enough to damage a young kid’s sensitive skin.

Latched fences, alarms, motion sensors and protective covers are great materials to use for securing pools and other water features. Choose fences and protective barriers that are at least 4 feet high with slats or gaps smaller than 3 inches. Use doors and gates that can be padlocked to better ensure your child’s protection.  

 

Dispose of dangerous obstacles

Toxic plants aren’t the only danger to watch out for. Gravel, sharp stones, scattered tools, hoses, and anything else that could poison, burn, and hurt kids should be properly stored or disposed of. Pick up any hazardous materials before allowing your kids to play in the yard and store them in a safe place like a toolshed or your garage. Chemicals like fertilizers, pesticides, charcoal, and chlorine should also be kept properly as they can poison young kids once inhaled or ingested.

If you live somewhere with lots of plants you might want to check for bugs and pests. Hornet’s nests, anthills, and beehives are huge hazards that should be removed as the insects living inside of them will hurt anything that they see as a threat, including curious babies and toddlers. Families living in rainy areas should also get rid of anything that can collect stagnant water since they can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

 

Make and enforce safety rules

It may seem impossible for rowdy toddlers to follow rules, but they are indeed capable of following simple safety rules. Rather than giving your child several rules all at once, try giving one or two rules first then slowly adding more as time goes on. That way, your child won’t feel so frustrated or trapped when he’s allowed to play outside.

You can also use a reward system to encourage your toddler to play safely. For example, by making a poster together and sticking gold stars next to their name every time they play without getting hurt. Another great way to ensure that your child follows important safety rules is by going over the day’s events with them and praising them for all the times they played safely. Your toddler will respond really well when you tell them things like, “You didn’t take your shoes off outside! Awesome job!”

 

Maintain constant supervision

Supervision is always necessary both indoors and outdoors. No matter how hard you clean and baby proof your yard, accidents are always very likely to happen behind your back. When it’s time to hang out with your child outside, keep a first-aid kit ready at all times in case you need to patch up bumps and scratches. Prepare snacks and water too just in case your child will need to take a break from playing all day.

Another great tool to keep on hand while watching your kids play outside is an electric nasal aspirator. This will ensure that you can unclog any tiny noses stuffed with mucus and dirt. Watolt's electric nasal aspirator is specially designed to help kids feel refreshed and breathe happily while they have fun at the playground, in your backyard, or at home. Order yours from our online store today!