67,135 children were admitted to hospital in 2020 due to accidents in the home, with many parents not installing safety equipment to prevent accidents from happening.
While many parents may be quick to baby-proof areas of the home like the kitchen or bathroom, the playroom should also be properly set up with safety in mind, too.
Aside from supervision during playtime, addressing the common hazards and putting safety precautions in place will help in creating a safe space that’s ideal for playtime.
Addressing Common Hazards
When aiming to create a safe playroom, addressing the common hazards and baby-proofing accordingly is a great place to start.
One Safewise post highlights a variety of hazards to address in a playroom, from fixing broken window locks to keeping dangling electrical cords secured and out of reach.
Keeping small toys/trinkets out of reach is another concern, as items like dress-up jewelry and toy parts can be a choking hazard.
The Safewise post mentions additional hazards that can be found within a playroom, such as magnets, buttons on stuffed animals, and even arts and crafts supplies.
Addressing the furniture in the room is another major concern when it comes to creating a safe playroom.
For example, sharp edges on tables, dressers, and other furniture pieces should be covered with a protector to avoid injury, though there are additional worries associated with furniture too.
Tall and/or top-heavy furniture pieces are particularly dangerous — if there are shelves, drawers, a TV, and/or a standalone dresser/closet in the room, ensuring that it’s properly anchored to the wall is imperative to prevent adventurous climbers from getting hurt and toppling the furniture onto themselves.
According to one post from Lucie’s List, furniture brackets (also known as L brackets) are the cheapest, simplest solution and can be easy to find in a hardware store.
Limiting Access Where Necessary
Depending where the playroom is situated in the home, you may need to add an extra level of security.
For example, if the room features a sliding glass door that leads outside to the backyard, protecting your children from accidentally gaining access to additional hazards (such as a pool or the road) can be easily managed with the help of a quality sliding door lock.
Similarly, if you allow your children to play with toys in the playroom that could be considered a hazard (like sand, Play-Doh, or small toys that can be a choking hazard), keeping the playroom off-limits with a lock when you aren’t able to supervise will prevent any injuries.
In addition to limiting access to areas of the home when necessary, the proper installation of baby gates and other fixtures — like out of reach cabinetry — can help greatly in further limiting hazards and preventing accidents.
If the playroom is connected to a bathroom or has the presence of stairs, for instance, preventing access when necessary via baby gates can easily prevent falls.
Limiting access to dangers like cleaning supplies, charging cords, and toys that can be considered a hazard for younger kids can be done by installing high, hard-to-reach locking cabinets.
Creating a safe and fun playroom for your kids can seem like a straightforward and easy endeavor, though there are plenty of considerations to keep in mind when it comes to safety.
By addressing the common babyproofing concerns to limiting access to dangers altogether, you’ll be able to create a safe playroom in no time at all.