Your outside space is meant to be a place where you can relax and recuperate after a stressful day. An isolated spot from the rest of the world where you can put your feet up, inhale the fresh air, and escape into your thoughts. At other times, it may also be a space to entertain family and friends, catch up with neighbours over the fence, or play with your children.

However, with young ones around, it can be challenging to have creative reign over your outside space while ensuring that it is kid friendly. Since children are required to engage in at least an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day and have a natural inclination towards the outdoors, they will most likely be frequent occupants of your outdoor space.

Children have a natural urge to explore, so as parents know, they will find themselves in all sorts of situations. Whether this is splashing around in your pond, digging up your flowerbeds, playing with the controls on your awning, or sneaking through that slight crack in your fence – you can guarantee they’ll find something to occupy their time. So, this begs the question; how do you make your outdoor space kid-friendly? We list some simple steps below:

 

Create Shady Areas

Warm weather is the optimum time for children to play outdoors. They can benefit from the fresh air, and the sun’s rays allow them to soak up some much-needed vitamin D. However, since children’s skin is much more sensitive than adult skin, it is crucial that you protect them from overexposure to the sun as it can increase the chances of them developing skin damage, skin cancer and eye injury.

You can avoid this by applying sun cream with at least SPF 30 to any uncovered body parts and creating cool, shady areas in your garden for them to play in. You could consider playhouses, sheds, pop-up tents, parasols etc. Alternatively, if you want your outside space to remain stylish yet kid-friendly, you could consider investing in awnings or verandas like the ones from Nationwide Home Innovations.

Available in various styles befitting any garden, awnings and verandas provide protection against solar rays and more unpleasant weather without dampening the aesthetic of your outdoor space. Consider learning more by visiting their website, where you can browse their entire catalogue, read customer testimonials, and much more. Or contact them directly for any specific inquiries and see how they could help you make your garden kid friendly.

 

Secure Any Gates/Fences

Another way to make your outside space kid-friendly is by paying particular attention to access gates or fences. Since children can turn anything into a game, it’s essential to make their surroundings as safe as possible by ensuring that gate latches/locks are positioned way out of reach of tiny hands, patching up any gaps or broken fence panels, and locking gates behind them to ensure they can’t slip away unnoticed.

Doing so is especially crucial to eliminate the risk of injury from minor accidents like running into a closing gate while following another companion to more severe accidents like fingers getting caught or pinched between an open or hinged side of a gate. Not to mention the damage that latches can cause if they’re sticking out!

 

Plant Non-Toxic Plants

If you have a green thumb, it can be tempting to plant any pretty plant you see; however, when you have children around, it’s essential that you are wary of what you’re growing. Unbeknownst to many parents, some of the most popular plants can be toxic, and since children are very fond of picking, touching, and putting things in their mouths, it pays to be cautious.

Fortunately, there are various kid-friendly, non-toxic plants that you can use to accessorise your outside space, such as snapdragons, pot marigolds, chives, canna lilies, and many more. It also pays to teach your children how to identify plants in your garden that could be harmful, such as stinging nettles, thorned plants, or prickly ones.

 

Store Tools And Chemicals Out Of Reach

Every parent knows that when children are silent, it often means trouble. You only have to turn your back for a couple of minutes, and their tiny fingers have found their new favourite toy, the garden shears! Or worse, you find them creating potions out of slug pellets, weed killers, soil improvers, and anything else they’ve seen in the depths of your garden shed.

It goes without saying that garden tools and chemicals can be a hazard for children; therefore, it is crucial that you keep these items securely locked up and out of reach of tiny hands. You could do this by storing them in a more secure area of your house, like in a high-positioned cupboard, room children don’t have access to, or in a contained garden shed.

 

Kid-Friendly Outdoor Space is a feature post