How to make a kid-friendly garden?
We all love gardens that are well-made and well-kept. We also want them to be safe and fun for our children.
Gardens provide a good space for children to have fun and enhance their physical and mental health. That is why they should be appealing outdoor spaces that provide children with opportunities to explore, challenge themselves, interact and learn new things.
With all kinds of sharp tools and heavy equipment, gardens can also be dangerous places for children to be alone in. So, gardens need to be kid-friendly.
Create Places for Children to Play and Move In
Children love playing hide and seek. We all know that. They also love to play pretend games, have fun with water and run around.
This needs to be kept in mind when designing or making a kid-friendly garden. Make places or small refuges for children to hide in, a water feature for the children to splash around in or have fun with and some open grassy patches for them to play or run around in.
Attract Animals or Birds
Building a water fountain or a fish and frog pond in the garden would provide children the opportunity to interact with animals and birds.
This would help them learn more about nature and discover different kinds of birds and animals. Taking care of these animals has shown to help in children’s character building.
Keep Heavy and Sharp Tools Out of Reach
Shears, forks, rakes, power tools – all of these need to be locked up far away from your children’s’ reach.
Many incidents have shown children hurting other children or themselves from sharp tools and equipment during play. Lawn tractor has been shown to be one of the main causes of children injuring themselves during play.
Children need to be told, yet and again, that tools are not to be used on other people.
Tools that are extremely big and heavy may also compromise your child’s safety. So lock all your tools and heavy equipment in sheds or other safe places. In case your children are left unattended in the garden, this would ensure that they do not injure themselves seriously.
Check Tools for Damages and Defects
The Michigan State University Extension asks parents to inspect tools and equipment to ensure that there are no splinters on handles, broken joints or weak teeth in them. Children may hurt themselves while holding or using these tools.
Therefore the tools need to be checked and inspected regularly. Believe us when we say that removing a splinter from a child’s hand or foot is a really hard task. It may even result in infections.
Keep all Things in Place
Chemicals used in the garden should be packed up and put away after usage. Hoses, pipes or any other material that may cause children to trip over need to be put in place. A first aid kit needs to be ready in case of injuries to prevent problems. Kid friendly gardens are gardens that should be carefully managed.
To enjoy your time outside in the garden with your children, make it fun, exciting and safe. Not only will the children have a great time, they would also learn more and become better, responsible and fun adults.