Before you open the doors and let your children loose on the beautiful outdoors, prepare your yard for safe play.
It's time for outdoor play. Time to let your kids run, climb, play in the mud, spin 'til they're dizzy and play 'til they drop.
Before you let your children loose on the great outdoors for games and fun, be sure the play area at your home is safe and childproof.
Here are some things to do before the summer fun begins, to ensure the season is as safe as it is enjoyable.
1. Garages and storage sheds
- Be sure all buckets and large containers are kept out of children’s reach. If filled with water, a container as small as 5-gallon capacity can be a source of drowning.
- Store all garden tools and sharp objects out of reach, as well as pesticides and herbicides, gasoline, and motor oil.
- Keep all ladders out of children’s reach.
2. Playground equipment
- Check all swings, slides, playhouses and other structures for sharp objects, rusty metal pieces, breaks, or weakened support pieces.
- On metal swing sets, be sure to cap all open tube pieces. They’re a popular nesting place for bees, wasps and hornets when hot weather arrives.
- Put wood chips, mulch, sand or another soft substance under all swing sets and back yard play equipment.
- Check sandboxes for leaves, bugs and other undesirables. It’s best to discard old sand and replace it with new playground sand at the beginning of the summer season.
3. Wooden decks
- Check the deck floor and handrails for splintered wood. A splinter of treated wood can cause serious infection and complications.
- Inspect all wood furniture for splintered or broken pieces.
4. Walking surfaces
- Check sidewalks, patios and other walkways for uneven or broken pieces that could cause a fall.
- Check the lawn for above-surface tree roots, rocks and other obstructions.
Some rules to impose at summer’s start:
- No Kids Near the Grill. When hot, even after it’s been shut off, a metal barbecue grill can cause burns.
- No Walking on the Wooden Deck in Bare Feet. Splinters are serious stuff.
- No Walking Near the Swing Set. A child wandering too near the front or back of a swing set can be knocked down by someone swinging.
- No Swimming without an Adult Present. If you have a swimming pool, even a small one, set a rule that requires all children to get out of the pool if the adult leaves, even for a moment. And if you have a pool, add No Yelling Help Unless You Really Need Help and No Running near the Pool.
- Only One Person on the Trampoline at a Time.
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The copyright of the article Back Yard Safety in Child-Proofing Homes is owned by Diane Laney Fitzpatrick. Permission to republish Back Yard Safety in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
