We may still be in the winter months, but now is the best time to start planning your garden. Knowing what you want to achieve with your outdoor space for your little ones’ benefit can be planned now and then implemented as soon as the weather improves and spring approaches! Here are some steps every parent with a garden should consider taking!
Making Your Garden Safe
Of course, the first step you’re going to have to make is ensuring your garden is a safe space for your little ones to spend time in. You need to supervise your children all the time while they are outdoors, but there’s plenty of room for accidents to happen if you aren’t careful when it comes to maintaining the space. Here are a few steps you should keep at the forefront of your priorities.
Securing the Perimeters
You need to start by making sure the perimeters of your garden are sealed and secure. Almost all children have an air of adventure and curiosity about them, and many will definitely take a look around the edges of your garden for spaces they might be able to squeeze out of. Even if they don’t go looking for an escape route out of the garden, they may be tempted if they find a hole in the fence that leads somewhere new and potentially exciting. The problem is, once they’re outside of your garden, you won’t have a clue where they’ve got to and they could easily find themselves in danger. So, take the time and effort to take a look around the outskirts of your garden at the fencing regularly. If there are gates, you may want to consider adding a padlock to ensure they can’t be easily opened. If you identify any problems with the perimeters of your garden, you need to have the fence panels replaced or repaired as quickly as possible and shouldn’t let your little ones spend time out in the garden until repairs are complete.
Level Paving Stones
Paving stones can become uneven over time. This is standard. However, if you do notice that your paving stones rest at different levels and are uneven, you should have them replaced or levelled out so they are smooth. Uneven surfaces can’t result in trips, falls and grazed knees. Bearing in mind paving slabs aren’t the softest of materials to land on, it’s definitely worth the time and money to have them put to rights.
Don’t Let Grass Become Overgrown
Short and well kept grass tends to be more aesthetically pleasing, so must of us aim for this anyway. But remember that long grass can conceal potential threats to your little ones’ safety, such as sharp objects, jagged rocks, animal faeces or other problems. So, keep your grass short at all times to be able to see the ground your children are playing on at any given moment.
Reconsider Ponds
Ponds can be a beautiful addition to any garden, but they are a huge safety hazard for children – even those who can swim. Little ones tend to love to lean over ponds to see what’s lurking beneath the surface (probably just a few tadpoles or small fish, but that’s enough to amuse most kids). They might also dip their feet in or mess around attempting to push siblings or friends into the water for their own amusement. But any water above a couple of inches poses a risk of drowning. So, reconsider ponds and if you already have one, you may want to have it filled in or at the very least fenced off.
Making Your Garden Engaging
Once you have a safe garden, you can begin to focus on making it a little more fun and engaging for your little ones. The outdoors is a great playground for kids and can be filled with exciting new sensory experiences, such as bright colours, new sounds, and different smells. Here are some steps you can take to get the utmost out of your garden!
Encourage Birds
Kids don’t get to see all too much wildlife on a day to day basis. So why not encourage birds to enter your garden? All you need is some high quality bird seed (you can Click here to find some) and some sort of bird feeder. Your children will be delighted with the sight of stunning creatures and their pretty songs before you know it!
Plant Flowers
Flowers are bright, beautiful and smell great. Why not plant some with your kids for a fun day activity? They’ll be thrilled to see them grow!
Of course, all of these changes can’t take place overnight. But this is why it’s a great idea to start planning now! You’ll be able to implement them before spring and have a beautiful and safe garden for your little ones to enjoy as soon as the weather improves!
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
I actually work outdoors all year round so I get to see lot’s of different gardens and get some good ideas 🙂
Outdoor play toys, swings, trampolines and climbing frames are a great way to get them in the fresh air and get the blood pumping too – so also good for their health.
Lot’s of early blooming flowers like Daffodils, Winter pansies and of course snowdrops will get some nice early colour in the garden to get their minds thinking.
What about a space where they can sit “in their own little den” and do whatever they want? We actually have an old pig sty in our garden… used along time ago.. it’s converted into a Den, has full electrics, wifi, inisde door and seating installed now. very handy.