Outdoors
Expert reveals 7 tips to make your garden child-friendly this summer
The school summer holidays have already arrived in some parts of the UK, with others breaking up later this week. Summer is a time for a well-earned break from schoolwork, and parents across the country will be looking for ways to keep their children active and outside.
One way you can do this is by having a child-friendly outdoor space, for most people this will be their back garden. However, gardens can come with a lot of danger for kids, especially younger ones. It’s important that you look for ways that you can make your garden safer and fun for your children.
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So, Garden Expert, Joshua Houston from Household Quotes has revealed seven tips to make your garden more child-friendly.
1. Open Space
It’s easy to want to compact your garden with everything that you desire, but it's crucial to keep in mind open space for your children. They need room to play with their toys, as well as to run around and get some exercise. Not leaving enough space could discourage your child from playing outside, and minimise their ability to do physical activity. To get the open space that you require, you might need to move garden furniture around, but do your best with what you have available.
2. Lock away your garden tools
After completing a garden task, make sure to lock away all tools in either a shed, garage or inside your home. This is because children run quickly and could easily get cut on sharp objects lying around. Given kids tend to be quite clumsy, landing on a garden tool could be disastrous, so make sure you ensure your garden is sharp-free. It will also benefit you, as you’ll know where the tools are next time you want to use them, and will protect them from harsh weather which causes damage.
3. Secure your pond
If you’re lucky enough to have a pond in your garden, make sure it is secure to prevent children from accidentally falling in. Nets are great for this, they go over the top of the pond and are ready to catch anything or anyone who might stumble. It will also benefit your pond life, as the net will protect fish from birds looking for their next meal.
4. Child areas
Gardens come in all shapes and sizes, and you might want to relax outside of your home whilst keeping a keen eye on what your children are doing. So set up a child area, full of toys, a sandbox and other outdoor activities which kids would find entertaining. An ideal place is in an area that has a clear view of the back windows of your home. This will allow you to complete any household chores you need to do, whilst giving you the peace of mind that you can see your children at all times.
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5. Invest in anti-slip decking
It’s easy for children to get excited when they’re outside, so on wet days that can be dangerous on decking. A solution for this is anti-slip decking, which provides plenty of grip even on those really rainy days. If you or your child slipped on a wooden deck, it could easily cause you to hit your head. Anti-slip decking comes in many different designs, and you’ll often find companies offering long-lasting warranties.
6. Make a den
As children, most of us loved making dens inside and outside of our homes. So a fun activity to keep your children busy could be den building. Provide an area of your garden, along with materials like plastic sheets and string, to share those great memories. Good areas for dens are typically near trees, as they offer a place to tie string around, along with added shelter. It is important to keep regular supervision, just to make sure they’re getting on ok.
7. Vegetable garden
A way you can keep your children entertained whilst also saving money is by building a vegetable garden. You can put this in a section of your garden if space allows, and get the kids involved in the digging, planting and harvesting. This is a really rewarding activity as it comes with great and healthy results. It’s also very low budget, with seeds and compost being very affordable at local garden centres.
Joshua Houston, Garden Expert at Household Quotes:
‘’Over the next six weeks, children across the country will be spending more time in their gardens than ever. So it’s important for you as a parent to make sure that they have a fun but safe environment to play in.
Not all of my tips are appropriate for everyone, as gardens do differ. But take my advice and try to adapt it to fit your garden,’’
Joshua Houston, Garden Expert
