This summer, you decided to make a beautiful garden with your children, but in order to make sure your kids are safe while roaming in the garden, please consider these safety tips.
Make Your Garden a Safe Haven for Children
We all have fond memories of playing outdoors as children. For little ones, a garden is a place where your imagination can roam free; the washing pole can become the mast of a ship on a stormy sea, the picnic table transforms into the perfect hiding place in a game of hide-and-seek, or the lawn a football pitch in an arena of screaming spectators.
It’s important that you encourage this sense of adventure for your children, but there are some precautions you can take to make sure your mini explorers remain unharmed in the garden and make a child-friendly garden.
Banish stinging insects
Wasp nests and beehives can potentially be very hazardous for small children, especially if they’re allergic to stings. Wasps’ nests can be common, and if you have a wasp nest in one of your garden buildings, don’t try and tackle it alone. Instead, hire an exterminator for peace of mind. To keep your garden wasp-free, hang a blown up paper bag from a prominent spot. Wasps are fiercely territorial, and will avoid anything that looks like another wasps’ nest.
Lock away hazards
Power tools, paint stripper, wood stain and other DIY and garden tools should be locked away in the garden shed at all times. Invest in a sturdy padlock for the shed door, and make sure all family members work to keep it secured. If you’re working outside with tools, don’t leave them unattended, and if you have freshly painted a fence or sprayed weeds, make the garden strictly off-limits.
Counteract the heat
When the weather is scorching, there are a few important steps you can take to counteract the risks of sunburn and heatstroke. Don’t let little ones play in the midday sun – they can quickly become overwhelmed by the heat. Equip kids with a hat and sunblock, and make sure there are plenty of frozen treats available in the kitchen when all that running around on the grass gets too much!
Know what’s in your shrubbery
Trim back thorny plants like rose bushes and prickly shrubs to avoid little bodies getting tangled or scratched. Remove any plants that bear berries other than those which are considered safe to eat. Fortunately, most plants are very safe, but even common blooms like foxgloves, daffodils and hyacinth can prove toxic if eaten. Educate yourself and your little ones to avoid nasty tummy aches.
By following these simple tips you will be able to make your garden a safe place for children.
Image by David K used under the Creative Commons license.
What a beautiful garden picture. I am only dream of having something like that!!! Once I go out to tend to the few plants we have our son in off like a bullet!! Maybe in a few more years he will play in the yard while I garden but ATM he is a “flight risk” so my plants will have to wait!! lol
I remember those days with my kids lol!
I cannot wait to see my garden again! I ripped out a bunch of overgrown things and the kids and I are planning replacements for spring!
And don’t take your eyes off them! LOL
Awesome tips. My sister and I were mischievous children. We played in everyones garden. lol
what a beautiful photo, a dream garden. We still haven’t even got a blade of grass in our garden and we moved in over 2 yrs ago – the builder did get the grading done towards the beginning of fall last year, too late to put down sod though.
Most likely it will be done this spring?
Ha! I wish my garden looked like that!
I love your tips and advice because a because I have a huge yard and we can use the help