When the weather is great, young children want to be outdoors all the time. It would unnecessarily frustrate them to keep them indoors for a large portion of the day while you are carrying out your chores.

However, the outdoors, and this includes your garden, contains many risks. Here are seven tips that help you keep them safe.

Supervision

With very young children, they should never be left outside unsupervised. Apart from stranger danger, there are always risks present and it is better to be safe than sorry, as the saying goes.

While you can teach them to be careful of strangers, you also need to ensure that only an adult you trust is allowed to supervise them.

Parents often think that the other person is watching the kids. This is when unforeseen accidents happen. You should designate one person and make it clear when this changes.

For example, you can say, “Honey, I need to get supper started. Please can you take over watching the kids?” Don’t ever leave this to chance.

Secure Your Premises

Make sure that all entrances and exits to your property are safe from trespassers and childproof. This means strong, secure gates that preferably do not offer a view into your garden. Check out alu-gate.co.uk for ideas.

Inspect All Outdoor Features

Your deck can hold many hazards for young, active explorers. If something can be climbed, you can be sure they will try. Often the design of railing offers many hand- and foot-holds for children to use.

If this is the case, think of replacing it with something more child-friendly.

Ensure that chairs are not close to edges on elevated decks where they can be tipped over. You will still have to watch them as they might move furniture around. Have kiddies’ tables and chairs outside at ground level.

Avoid any glass such as in table tops and make sure that sliding doors are shatterproof.

Water Safety

Pools should be securely fenced. Gates should be locked at all times when the family is not swimming together. Teach your children to swim as babies so that if they do fall into a pool, they won’t drown. Never leave them unmonitored near water.

Safety rules must be taught and reinforced constantly. For example, many drowning incidents occur when children were running around a pool and slipped on water on the ground. Always remind your kids to walk, not run in the pool area.

Chemicals And Garden Tools

Chemicals such as fertilisers and pool cleaners should be locked away when not in use. This applies indoors as well.

Likewise, garden implements may be fun to play with, but they usually have sharp edges and points. Keep them out of reach in a sealed shed and provide kiddies buckets and spades for play.

Avoid Backover Incidents

Driveways are hazardous areas. Statistics show that large numbers of children have been injured or killed by reversing vehicles. A child may not be visible in your blind spot. One parent should keep hold of the kids while the other is moving a car.

Heat Sources

The charcoal and grill will retain heat hours after you have used them. Teach your children to stay away from such heat sources. Never leave the grill unattended and move it to a safe spot out of harm’s way when you are done.

Keeping your kids safe outdoors requires common sense and alertness at all times.