The backyard is not just a lawn, it’s a castle, a jungle gym and a track for your little one’s imagination. And who doesn’t love running, laughing, and summer memories? But your private playground may have what may be referred to as “hidden dangers” and seemingly normal messes that can take a little too much away from the fun. Good news? One step towards a safer and cleaner yard for your kids doesn’t mean a lot of work, or anything more than doing a bit of regular cleaning.
Start with a Thorough Clean Sweep
For safety to not be as important, you need to make sure that your yard is tidy too. A cluttered backyard is very easy to slip people by and to hide more dangerous things. Go around the entire yard and just pick up anything that you notice has fallen down like sticks, stones, or fallen branches. The first sweep will do a good job of making your yard far more clean right away, but it will also show you what is covered by the canvas of your lawn so you can see areas that need to get a good cleaning. That’s the perfect weekend chore to do, and I guarantee you that it will not only teach your kids the importance of taking care of themselves.
The Foundation of Safety: A Well-Maintained Lawn and Hardscapes
Usually neglected lawns hide depressions, holes and intruders. Look at how well the grass grows as you are mowing so you don’t have small patches left over. If there’s an area where a pet could make a hole or some other intruder could make, make that hole (or hole soon) with topsoil and grass seed to keep your lawn flat. For a longer lasting floor, the hardscapes are the way to go. If you want something that will hold up for a long time and have it deep cleaned, Yorktown pressure washing companies are a good option for you. The professionals can blast away all that grime that makes your surfaces slip off and get your surfaces back to look good without anyone falling off.
Secure Your Play Structures
If you have a swing set, climbing gym, or play house in your yard then the structural integrity of the structure is very important, one way to do that is to periodically inspect all the parts of the structure, clamp any loose screws or bolts to tighten any wood that is splintering or rusted. Keep the swings down and make sure there are no pinch points or snags on any parts of the structure that move. The surface below the play structure should also be comfortable to use. Rake the material regularly to keep it evenly distributed and debris free.
Create Clear Boundaries and Zones
Divide your yard by other means for instance, consider your garden borders. You can make or buy fences with low posts to keep children from sliding through your garden beds or plants that you haven’t planted yet. And consider planting plantingers, to teach children where to not run wild. Also make sure pools, hot tubs and other storage sheds are also fenced with self – latching gates. If toddlers become curious about anything they ‘ll not run into a potentially dangerous area without real direct supervision.
The Importance of Smart Plant Selection
This shouldn’t ruin the beauty of your plants by the fact that nay-sayers tell us that great gardens are best secured from harm. Many of the most common plants that we grow in gardens are poisonous (not necessarily meaning that they will kill you if you ever eat them ) or an irritant to others. So consider keeping track of what plants you already have in your garden ( e. g. foxgloves or oleanders ) or plants that have sharp teeth ( roses unless they are kept away from children ), before you go planting them! Also keep grass and weeds down around the edges of your yard ( and around any play structures ) so that ticks and other pests are less likely to show up in your yard.
Eliminate Standing Water and Pests
Standing water, yay mosquitos and children. You can breed them there. You can drown toddlers who may not be able to move around with air and water to get out. Empty buckets or other containers with rainwater if you see that you’re getting moisture from these containers on a consistent basis. Don’t place toys out around containers with rainwater (children can get drowned). Make sure your yard is drainage. yay puddles in low spots after a storm don’t just stay there.
Safe and Secure Storage
Cleaner means safer: All garden tools, hoses, or lawn care equipment should be locked away from children in a secure shed or garage after each use. Who wants to see a rake, shovel, or trimmer lying on the lawn during the time when a little kid stumbles upon it!. Keeping everything away means you eliminate a major category of possible accidents on your property as well as keeping any hazardous substance safe and out of reach of children.
The Final Touch
The sun goes down. And once it gets cool the children are inside and not much can be done if they try to leave. But the same issues of being too unsafe don’t have to go into the evening either. Make sure you have lights on the walking ways, steps and the entrance to the house. Solar powered path lights are an amazing fast cheap way to light a walkway without having to wire a lot of things up. For decks and patios, maybe add motion sensors lights. Good lighting will not only make it harder for little kids to grab their toys or say “goodnight” to friends, but it will make the house more secure.
