Your backyard should be a place that your kids can explore safely with minimal supervision. This requires you to eliminate any major hazards that might be lurking in your garden. Below are a few common dangers that could be worth protecting your kids against.
Swimming pools
While a swimming pool can be a fun place for your kids to play, it can also be a deathtrap if you don’t take certain precautions. Nearly 400 kids die every year in the US from falling in pools and drowning.
If you’re unable to keep your kids away from the pool and you don’t want to watch them like a hawk, it’s recommended that you either install a fence around your pool or invest in a rigid pool cover. Such physical barriers can stop young kids wandering into the pool when not in use.
Pool alarms are another option – these can make noise when motion is detected in the pool, warning you if kids fall in, however some can be quite sensitive to motion from animals like birds, so make sure to choose the right one.
Window wells
Window wells are holes in the ground designed to let more light into basement windows. There have been incidents falling into them and seriously injuring themselves. This is why safety covers are recommended.
Such safety covers could take the form of window well glass covers or grates. Window well glass covers tend to maximize light through them and are the most popular option.
Garden tools
Many garden tools can be potentially dangerous if a kid gets their hands on them. This is particularly the case with power tools (although such tools are typically designed so that a kid cannot easily work out how to use them).
A simple solution for preventing injuries involving garden tools is to lock these tools away when not in use. This not only keeps them out of kids’ hands, but stops them getting stolen and also protects them from weather damage.
Outdoor fires
From grills to fire pits, there are many different types of open fire found in backyards. These can be a major hazard to unattended kids.
The best way to protect kids from fire is to establish clear rules. Having a marked off perimeter around fire pits is recommended and it can clearly show kids where they can not venture beyond.
Trampolines
Trampolines may be designed for kids, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a major hazard. As many as 100,000 injuries are recorded every year involving trampolines.
How can you make your trampoline safer? Most modern trampolines should have a net around the outside. This prevents kids from falling off the trampoline. Unfortunately, nets can get damaged over time and many parents do not repair or replace them – make sure that this netting doesn’t become too damaged and become a hazard.
Another option is to install a sunken trampoline. This involves digging a hole in the backyard and placing the trampoline in the ground so that the surface is level with the grass around it. This means that kids don’t have several feet to fall if they jump off the trampoline .
