Summertime is a great time of year to enjoy being outside with your friends and family. And after all the time and money you've invested on your deck, outdoor furniture and backyard, you deserve to reap the benefits. But when it comes to outdoor safety, children have a completely different set of concerns than do adults. What might be perfectly fine to an adult can easily cause injury to a small child. Know how to childproof your backyard so that everyone has a safe and fun time.
Shape and material of outdoor furniture
Before you even go to buy patio furniture think about how it is shaped and what materials make it up. Avoid furniture with toxic paints that can poison a child, especially as it starts to peel or chip. Then there are certain materials, like metal, that will grow extremely hot to the touch in direct sun and could potentially burn a child.
As far as shapes, avoid sharp edges, pointy corners and the like. Go with a round table with rounded chairs over a square-shaped one.Outdoor furniture that moves
Another thing to keep in mind is furniture with moving parts. Avoid anything that can pinch, that folds or snaps shut quickly or furniture that can tip over easily. For example, with rocking chairs, children or pets can get pinched if they get caught beneath one of the rockers, so instead go with a glider chair. You get the same benefit of a moving chair, but with a base that stays put. As another example, porch swings can be dangerous if they are freestanding as this can also lead to pinching against the stand. Opt for a mounted porch swing instead.
Condition of outdoor furniture
A final concern is checking the condition of your furniture, especially after a few years when it has likely deteriorated somewhat. Pieces that have fallen into disrepair are dangerous for children and adults alike. For one, you can get a splinter from rough or cracked wood, and rotted and warped wood can break apart completely.
Furniture Placement
Also, look to arrange your patio furniture so that it won't topple over one another if children are messing around. Children also tend to re-purpose chairs and tables as stepping stools, so keep furniture away from deck edges so that kids don't fall over the railing.
Barbecue Grills
Grills just scream safety hazard owing to their open flame and combustible parts. When you have a small child, you may just want to avoid using a barbecue all together, or else put a barrier around it so that your child cannot get to it. At the same time, store away toxic things like propane and lighter fluid in locked or hard to reach places.
Backyard
For the rest of your yard, childproofing is just a matter of common sense. Place gates or barriers around pools, ponds and fountains. Check that you fences are intact and that there are no loose or broken posts. Replace metal sprinklers with plastic ones. These are just a handful of tricks to keeping your kids safe but still allow them to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.
Making Outdoor Furniture Child Safe