Who doesn’t want a beautiful, well-kept, and amazingly landscaped back garden? A place where you, your friends and family can hang out in and enjoy the view. Unfortunately, a back garden can be as beautiful as it is hazardous — for kids, at least; what may seem safe to adults may be dangerous to young children, especially if they’re not aware of such risks and hazards.
So, if you have young ones at home, or are expecting relatives/friends with children coming over, do take note of these essential and easy-to-remember tips to make your back garden a child-friendly place:
Fencing
The best and most effective way to protect children from straying off too far is by building a perimeter fence in your back garden. A fence allows your back garden to be a safe area not only for kids, but also for everyone and everything within it — a fence can help keep out stray animals, help keep your pets in, and also helps deter trespassers, as well as effectively marking your property’s boundaries. For homes with pools, it’s not enough to have a perimeter fence; a separate fence surrounding the pool is integral in preventing accidental drowning and ensures that the young ones keep away from the pool when they’re unsupervised.
Pick Plants Purposefully
There are a lot of plants that are toxic to pets and young children. If you have kids or are expecting to host some in your back garden, it’s important to fence/seal off areas with toxic plants. In general, you definitely wouldn’t want children from ingesting random plant leaves and fruits in your back garden, so sealing off the areas beforehand with another set of fences is a viable alternative to uprooting and removing these plants from the garden altogether.
Clear All Obstacles on the Garden Floor
Rocks, protruding roots, pipes, hoses, etc. These are all potential tripping hazards for children and adults that can result in injury or even worse. That said, it’s best to comb every inch of your back garden’s floor and remove any tripping hazard. You also need to consider hiring a professional to do stump removal service in for your Guildford home’s back garden as they don’t only pose as a potential hazard, but they increase the risk of termites and mould affecting your home.
Tools and Toolshed Lockup
Next, make sure that you always organize and store your tools and materials (lawnmower, gardening set, pesticides and fertilizers, and so on) somewhere children won’t be able to access them and play with. Store any harmful substance and equipment in your garage or yard shed and keep it locked. If you’re teaching children to operate these tools, make sure to do so carefully and with uninterrupted supervision.
Make a Play Area
If you don’t want children to wander off, or play with things they shouldn’t be playing/experimenting with, the best things you can do is to make a designated and well-equipped play area. Get a sandbox, slide, house, and a child-friendly obstacle course, basically any feature that can divert children’s attention from potential hazards. However, it’s just as important that you regularly inspect, clean, maintain, and repair the play area and the equipment to ensure the safety of the children playing in this designated play area.
Watch Out for Sharp Corners
Avoid any sharps corners in your fence design, but more importantly, any sharp corners in your outdoor furniture (patio tables, etc). Put padding or any protective layers on the sharp edges and corners of your furniture to prevent children from getting injured and cut if they bump into these furniture.
Conclusion
Your garden should be a beautiful safe haven for people of all ages, but most especially kids. Although childproofing one’s back garden can be challenging, with these simple tips, you’d be able to make it a little bit easier.