7 Simple Ways to Make Your Yard Safe for Kids

It is a commonly known fact that most accidents happen in and around the home. As children grow and learn to walk and run, they inevitably tumble and bump into furniture and other objects. Indeed, falls are the most common reason for childhood injuries. These accidents account for around 8.000 visits to ER every single day. Your yard should be a safe place for a child to play and enjoy games. But, while your kid will be safely away from roads and traffic, there are still many dangers in most yards. This short article has seven ways to make your yard safe for your children, especially the younger ones.

How to Make Your Yard Safe for Kids

1. Improve the safety of your patio

Several things can help make a patio safer. As a hard surface, kids may experience falls, scrapes, and bruises on a patio. Nevertheless, there are still options for making a more child-proof patio.

The people from Paving Shopper advise using slip-resistant pavers to avoid problems such as slipping when it has been raining. You can choose from a few paving slabs or porcelain tiles that provide a non-slip surface. They are non-porous, too, meaning water and moisture cannot enter the paver.

When paving stones absorb water, they can then be affected by algae and moss that cause slipping hazards. Another way to make your patio safer is to add a cover or canopy. It will help keep the patio dry and protect you and your child from the sun.

2. Add fencing to the yard

Opinions differ on how much value a fence can add to your home, but you will see some ROI if you install one. A fence can add curb appeal and create privacy.

Putting up a fence will let your child play in private and stop them from leaving the yard area. It will also prevent anyone from entering and make your home a little more secure.

3. Cover any ponds

Water features represent a hazard to young children, and a fatal accident can happen to a toddler in only one inch of water. You can use a fixed metal grille to stop your child from tripping and falling into the pond.

If you have a swimming pool, erecting a pool fence is vital. Don’t rely on pool covers as they can be dangerous themselves.

4. Provide shade

A canopy or covering for your patio or decking area for shade can make the space safer. Trees also provide natural shade from the sun’s rays. You can have a relaxing and enjoyable time in the yard with your child, but youngsters are more susceptible to burning than adults.

Creating shaded areas means you can safely put your baby strollers in the yard and enjoy fresh air together. And if you have trees and adventurous children, get the lower branches professionally trimmed so there is no way to climb up.

5. Improve your walkways

Make sure your paving slabs are even and flat. A rising paving slab creates a tripping hazard for children playing in the yard. If you have lights along your walkway or through the yard, switch over to solar so there is no need for electric cables.

As you read in the intro, falls cause many of the most common childhood injuries, so a soft surface underneath the swing or treehouse is a must.

6. Make a play area to Make Your Yard Safe

You can use low fencing to create a playpen and put in some toys for young children. And using rubber mats or other soft surfaces will help prevent injuries from trips and falls.

7. Lock your gardening tools in the shed

Gardening and growing vegetables together are one of the best ways to get your child outdoors, but leaving gardening tools lying around can be very dangerous.

Ensure garden shears, pruners or loppers, rakes, and forks are all present hazards. Put them in the shed, and lock it so kids can’t get into the tools.

Check the yard for poisonous plants

Numerous plants are toxic to humans at some level. Some of them cause allergic reactions, and some can be fatal when ingested. And some are very common in regular yards and homes.

For example, common ivy is mildly poisonous if consumed. Children are curious about the world, and it isn’t unusual for children to put objects into their mouths. The under-5s are most at risk of being poisoned by plants, so checking what is in your yard or growing on your walls is a good idea.

Incidentally, the ASPCA points out that common ivy is toxic to cats and dogs too. So, you may want to avoid this fast wall climber altogether.

Recap: Make Your Yard Safe for Kids

Loose flagstones are one of the most obvious tripping hazards. And if you have an uneven pathway or patio, it can be rectified by professional pavers. Yet, this isn’t the only danger in a typical yard.

It takes very little work to make a yard safer, but that small investment will help to keep your child safe from harm and away from ER.