Children love the outdoors, and it has lots of benefits to offer. However, it’s not the safest of places and somewhere that you’ll need to keep a close eye on them with all of the hazards that it presents. There are ways to mitigate these risks and childproof your garden. Here’s some guidance from Lawsons, a builder’s merchants in Hertfordshire.

Dangerous Plants

Beautiful things can also be dangerous. There are many forms of plants that you should avoid planting in your garden such as Rhubarb, Lily of the valley and Hydrangeas as they are all poisonous. Nettles and plants with thorns are also dangerous with their stings and pricks.

A large, well maintained lawn is beneficial for kids, giving them a safe space to play. For tips on lawn care, check out MOOWY.

Fences and Gates

Children are smarter than we give them credit for. They are able to find ways of escaping and can get lost. If this sounds familiar, we advise against taking any chances and recommend investing in quality garden gates and fences. Additional locks will make it harder for them to open and find a way out. You can also use these to close off ponds and anything else that you deem to be unsafe. This is important as it only takes ½ a cup of water to drown and as little as 20 seconds.

A Play Pen 

If your child’s small, you may be able to get away with a play pen. They limit how much of the garden that they can access and can be a physical barrier so that they can’t go too far, get lost or hurt themselves. Many of the play pens that you can build are made from foam or rubber, so they are child safe and much softer than concrete, preventing injury. 

Tools

A cluttered garden presents risk. To create a safe environment for your child, tidy away clutter (especially pointy and heavy gardening tools) as this will prevent accidents from happening. 

Cameras

Outdoor baby monitors are also an option. While you pop in or let your child have a play while you finish off the laundry, you can still keep a watchful eye over them thanks to a small lens that covers your entire garden.

We hope that you found this guide helpful. If you did, why not check out the rest of our posts where we have more parenting tips just like these?

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