Your garden is the best place for you to relax and be a little closer to nature. At the same time, it’s also the perfect place for your kids to play and expose themselves to the greeneries at a very young age. However, kids seem to never run out of energy, and their curiosity knows no bounds.

That said, it is of utmost importance that you make your outdoor space ideal for your kids. It needs not only be safe but also inviting at the same time. With more kids spending most of their time indoors with gadgets and computers, it’s important to encourage them about the importance of outdoor play.

The good news is that it’s not so hard a task to child-proof your garden. With careful planning and execution, you can make your garden a safe and fun place for your kids.

Keep gardening equipment away

How and when to aerate your lawn is something that every gardener needs to and should know. While it may seem complicated, it isn’t, especially once you’ve gotten the hang of it. What’s more important though, is making sure that you keep your equipment and any other gardening tools away when they’re not in use.

Always remember that it only takes a few seconds for unknowing children to tinker with your gardening tools when left unwatched. During this time, the worst can happen, and you don’t want that. You can avoid unwanted incidents from happening by starting with the shed.

The shed should be the place where you keep everything related to gardening especially when they’re not in use. If you don’t have a one, you can settle for one of those lockable garden chests. These things come in a variety of shapes and designs to suit any garden theme that you have in mind.

Fences and gates

As much as you want to, you can’t always keep an eye or two on your kids. Before you know it, they’ve wandered into places where they’re not supposed to. And as parents, the least that you want to happen is for your kids to get into an accident.

What you need to keep in mind is that your garden fences and gates should grow as your kids do. The gates should keep them away from busy streets especially if you live in a high-traffic area. The rails, on the other hand, will do the job of protecting your kids and precious plants at the same time.

What’s important is to teach your kids as early as possible, that they shouldn’t go over the gates and fences.  Tell them that what’s beyond can potentially harm them as soon as they’re able to understand things better. It would also help to paint the fences and gates in attractive colours and designs to stimulate their interests in staying within the garden.

Artificial grass

Ideally, you’d want to allow your kids to play on the lawn for as long and however, they want. However, the fact remains that doing so poses a risk for them. Unless you see to it that your lawn is regularly maintained, injuries due to the likes of hard or uneven surfaces can happen.

If this is one of your worries, you might as well switch to fake grass instead. They may be fake; however, they’ve got features that make them better than natural grass. In fact, what natural grass can do, synthetic turf can do better. What’s even better is that you’ll never have to worry about maintaining your lawn which means you’ll have more time to focus on your kids.

For instance, artificial grass is cushioned to ensure that kids or anyone else doesn’t get hurt during nasty falls. Additionally, nasty falls and slips are very unlikely to happen since they’re made to be significantly less slippery compared to the real ones. As a bonus, you’ll never have to worry about cleaning after muds should your little ones find their way inside your home.

Water feature

It can’t be denied that having a water feature in a garden adds to its overall value and aesthetic appeal. If you’re having a problem with pests, a water feature can also help by providing habitat to their natural predators like frogs and other animals.

However, as pretty as they look, drowning in a pool is the second leading cause of accidental death in people aged between 5 and 24. This is precisely the reason why you need to keep your pool or any water feature safe and secure. Regardless if your kids know how to swim, you need to always see to it that the pond or lake in your garden is adequately fenced.

Also, never underestimate the possibility that younger kids can drown no matter how shallow the water in a pond is. Putting a gate around it will also go a long way to making it even more secure. And if you have paddling pools, see to it that they’re emptied and stored away after every use.

Designate zones

Another way that you can make your kids enjoy the outdoor space while keeping them safe is by designating an area just for them. As much as you want adults to enjoy and make the most out of the garden, the same thing can be said about kids.

That’s why having a separate space just for them is very important. Not only does it allow them to wander and play around freely, but it also keeps them safe from the potential dangers of a garden. When you do this, however, you have to make sure that this ‘zone’ is still within your sight.

Sandpits and water tables are the ideal materials to create that ‘perfect area for the kids’. To make things even more comfortable for them, put seats and tables in the zone that are made of plastic, rattan, or wood. Kids can be messy most of the time, and these materials can make cleaning a lot less of a hassle.

Additionally, you’d want to design this area with their favourite cartoon characters so they won’t get bored quickly and wander off. At the same time, be sure to include toys and games to keep them occupied.

Plan what you want to plant

This is probably the most important thing that you need to keep in mind when you have a garden and kids at the same time. You see, adults would know (at least they should) which plants are poisonous and which are not. Unfortunately, kids don’t, and it’s your responsibility to keep them safe from potentially harmful plants.

If at all possible, shy away from growing plants that are toxic to humans no matter how beautiful they may look. The same goes for plants that aren’t poisonous but irritating to the skin. No matter how well you plan your garden to be child-friendly and safe, you should always account for the unexpected.

It would help a lot to do your research as to which plants cause irritations and are toxic to humans. This should give you the best idea which ones to grow and which ones shouldn’t be in your garden. If it can’t be helped, be extremely confident that you put up fences and keep these plants far away from your kids.

Conclusion

Contrary to what some people think, kids shouldn’t get in the way of your gardening. Instead, your garden should serve as a place for the kids to be kids. Time flies, and in no time at all, they’ll be grown-ups, and you would want them to have the best memories from their childhood.

Author Bio

Emma is a part-time property developer who loves sharing how others can make their homes amazing both inside and out on her blog Fixtures and Flowers. You can chat to Emma on Twitter.