If you have children, you’ll know that a lot of the time they love to play outside, especially when the sun is out. This is why many parents opt to buy a house with a large garden so that they can watch their children and know that they’re safe in their own home. This is great in theory, but gardens aren’t always a safe place to play right off the bat. This is why we have come up with some ways that you can help to make your garden family friendly so that you can let your children play freely. Keep reading to find out more!
Avoid Toxic Plants
When you first move into a house, one thing that you should do is have a look for any toxic plants. You can easily find a list online of the ones to avoid and take some time walking around your garden in the areas that your children might be playing. It is also important that you avoid planting any of these plants yourself so when you are gardening you should check these details again. It is not uncommon for children just to pick things up and put them in their mouth so teaching them to avoid certain plants may also be beneficial. You could even make it into a fun activity where you remove them together!
Use Trellis Panels
Trellis panels are not only a great way of supporting your plants as they grow but they can also have a great functional use. Installing trellis panels in your garden can create sections and prevent children from getting into those sections. This means that you can keep your favourite plants away from little feet that might want to stomp all over them. Trellis panels are often favoured over fences as they can separate your garden but still make it look nice because of the design and the gaps. If you’d like to increase the height of your fences on either side of your garden to protect your children, we’d also recommend adding trellis panels as they mean that you are not sacrificing any light.
If you’d like to know more, you can find a lot of different shapes and sizes of trellis panels over at the following link; https://www.buyfencingdirect.co.uk/trellis. Buy Fencing Direct offer many different types such as arched trellises, planter trellises, fence toppers and expanding trellises which are perfect for reaching those awkward areas.
Consider The Surface
If your children are prone to falling over and cutting themselves like most are, you’ll need to consider the surface of your garden. One thing to avoid is stones or gravel as this can cause scratches and will not be fun to fall onto. Having areas that are filled with grass or wood for dry areas will make for a safer environment for your children. If you have grass then ensuring that it is properly maintained is also important when making it safe for your children to play in. Although it may seem like a high cost initially to replace the surface of your garden with grass, it will be very beneficial to the safety of your children.
Add A Water Feature
When you have children, you don’t need to compromise the aesthetic of your garden completely. Of course, you’d like them to be safe and the dangers of a pond may put you off but there are other options. Installing a safe water feature that stores the water underground can make your garden look great but also provide fun for the children. If there is any amount of water that the children can access, it is important to take this away or to supervise them at all times. Kids love to play in water and what’s more fun that running around in a sprinkler when the sun is out?
Create A Play Area
Having a play area in your garden will make it a lot more fun for your children. It is important not to get too bogged down with keeping your plants safe because it is likely that you children will not remember to take care with them. This is why creating a play area is a good idea and something that doesn’t need to cost too much. Play areas can be created easily by buying a swing set, a slide or a climbing frame. If you’d rather spend less money on the play areas, you can build your own with wooden pallets and other materials. The play area doesn’t need to be something that is huge and takes up the whole garden as long as your children have somewhere that they can enjoy playing and stay away from your plants.
Secure Any Gates
Our final tip for you to make sure that your home is family friendly is to make sure that you secure any gates. The last thing that you want is your kids wandering around the side of your house or into your neighbour’s garden. By taking some time to secure any gates and make the locks out of reach you can ensure that they will stay in your garden. If you don’t already have a gate, we recommend that you invest in one as the safety of your kids is key. Adding gates to your garden will also add an element of privacy and means that people in the street passing by cannot see what you and your children are up to.
Summary
If you’re lucky enough to have a large garden attached to your home, it is very important to make sure that is child friendly. Doing simple tasks such as sectioning off areas and removing toxic plants can go a long way when it comes to protecting your children. Make sure to take the necessary precautions when you first move into a new house because you don’t know what the previous owner might have planted there. Follow our tips to make sure that your garden is safe, and you’ll have happy children and peace of mind.
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