Children like spending time and having fun outdoors during the summer and what better place for them to do it than in your own backyard where you can supervise and protect them from harm?
You might find it surprising but the backyard can be quite dangerous if you don’t take the proper safety precautions. Below we will show you the ways in which you can make your backyard safer for your children to play in.
Safety rules
It is important to communicate with your child and establish together a few rules for safe outdoor play. Even when their friends come visiting, you should take the time to talk with them and make them understand what your household outdoor rules are.
You shouldn’t let the children push or chase while climbing walls, playing on slides, or swings. The clothing they wear is also important and the shoes should always be closed-toed to ensure better protection. Furthermore, loose clothing, jewelry or any other item that can get caught should be avoided.
Put away all your personal items such as backpacks, bikes or backyard equipment away from the play area and make sure that the children are off-limits from areas where they are stored, such as the shed and the garage.
Adult supervision is also very important and you should never let young children play without yourself or another adult nearby.
Check the yard for possible hazards
As mentioned earlier, you should remove all the dangerous items from the backyard. Think of items such as ladders, garden tools, chemicals, hoses, and so forth. You can also install fences to ensure that your kids will remain in your yard and won’t venture to dangerous places.
This includes the pool which is one of the most dangerous areas for children, so make sure it is surrounded by a fence and an alarm system.
Local wildlife can also be a danger which is why it is a good idea to invest in effective repellents for squirrels, mosquitoes and other pests that you may not want around your children. Squirrels and other rodents won’t purposefully harm humans but since they are so small and cute, kids will start chasing them which can result in injury.
Be mindful of plants and flowers
The plants and flowers in your backyard can be very dangerous for toddlers and small children since they tend to put everything they see in their mouths. Thus, you need to make sure that there are no poisonous plants such as Lily of the Valley, Oleander and poison ivy in your backyard.
Take the time to teach your children that they should not eat leaves, berries, or anything else from plants even if they may look safe. Additionally, if you spray pesticides or other fertilizers in your yard, you should wait at least 48 hours after the treatment before you can let your kids play outside again.
Survey play structures
You can equip your backyard with plenty of play stations such as slides, swings and climbing walls since they encourage exercise and imaginative play. With that said, you should make sure that these structures are maintained and checked periodically for signs of wear.
Trampolines may seem fun but it is best to avoid purchasing them since they are one of the primary causes of broken bones in kids 16 years of age and younger.
Block access to barbecues and outdoor grills
A barbecue is a great way to have some quality family time but you need to be careful and keep your children away from it, especially once you are done using it since it can still be extremely hot.
You should always supervise the grill when cooking and once you are done, you should store everything including the propane tanks in the garage or any other place that your kids don’t have access to.
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