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| The best way to keep your children safe in the garden is to stay with them at all times. However this is not always possible read on for a basic common sense guide making your garden a child friendly place to give you peace of mind and them hours of fun in the garden. |
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 There is something about dangerous objects or situations which attracts young children like a magnet. The most basic safety check you need to do is to make sure your garden is secure. That means that your children can't get out and no one else can get in without you knowing about it. Check that the gates fasten properly, that the locks aren't low enough for your kids to open and that there are no holes in the fence or boundary. Remember that toddlers love to climb and they will quickly learn to use toys, garden chairs, plant pots etc as steps and get over low boundaries that way. |
Plants
If you don't already know, find out exactly what plants, shrubs and trees are growing in your garden and remove or secure any which are poisonous. Kids will eat flowers, berries, bulbs or anything else that catches their eye, so be warned. Protect your child from plants with spikes or prickles - falling head first into something like this will be very painful! |
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Soil and sand
The soil in flowerbeds is another favourite - toddlers will dig, either with their fingers or something else, and it will get into their mouths at some point. Try to disencourage you children from an early age to not play with soil. If they do it is always a good idea to thoroughly wash their hands and face to avoid germs. Take extra care if you or your neighbours have cats. They will probably be using your soil as a toilet and you don't want your children digging about in that and then sucking their fingers. The best thing to do is either grass over any beds you can or fence them off to keep your child away. Cover sandpits when you're not using them for the same reason. |
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Water
If you have a pond or water feature, securely fence it off so your child cannot possibly get to it. Babies and young children can drown in just a couple of centimetres of water. Put a secure lid on the water-butt in case they manage to climb up to it.
If your neighbours have ponds make sure they know you have children and ask them to check their side of any fence or boundary for any gaps you may have missed which your children could get through. |
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 Tools and chemicals
Always keep all garden tools, DIY or gardening products and chemicals of any kind locked away in the shed or garage. Make sure it locks with a key which you can remove - children will quickly learn to climb and open latches.
Be aware that stacks of logs, paving slabs etc are great attractions for children to climb on and very dangerous if they collapse. Fence the area off or keep these things in a locked shed. |
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The Sun
Always protect your baby from the sun whenever they are outside.
Babies and small children are very sensitive to the sun and will burn easily. Put a total block sunscreen on your children whenever they go out in the sun. Don't be fooled just because it isn't scorching hot outside - children can burn when they're in the shade and on cloudy days too. To protect them from sunstroke you should make sure that they wear hat too. |
