**Enjoy a guest post by Daniel of DadSolo.com**
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Five Tips for Safe Outdoor Fun for Children This Spring and Summer
The coming of spring and summer brings joy, laughter, and excitement, but also potential hazards around the home. Ensuring outdoor safety for our children should be foremost in our thoughts as parents. Here are five ideas from The Journey At Home on how to make sure your home is fun and safe during these coming warmer months.
Create a Plan
The basis of good preparation is a checklist. Conduct a survey of your home and identify disrepair and possible dangers, like exposed nails and broken boards. If your maintenance equipment has suffered disrepair, make the necessary fixes to prevent hazards.
Your house may also have undergone winter hardship, so patch holes wherever you find them and ensure that window screening is secured properly. Look for evidence of cracking or damage along walkways to repair, and seek to install or replace locks where necessary to prevent inquisitive children from accessing hazardous materials.
The Yard
The Child Development Institute points out that our yards can contain potential hazards for children. The first thing to do is to make sure that steps and ladders are secured to prevent falls. Clear out tools like rakes and brooms, as they could also be threats to children.
In addition, make sure that harmful products like kerosene, paint thinners, and pesticides are stored safely and away from prying hands. Tend to overgrown trees and shrubbery and don’t let them get closer than two feet from the exterior of your home to reduce pests. Check plants to ensure they are not poisonous.
If you have an in-ground fire pit, make sure it’s covered any time it’s not in use (or better yet, replace it with one that sits above ground — you can even make your own with the help of older children). Lastly, if you have a water feature like a pond or pool, consider fencing it off as it can pose a drowning risk, particularly for young children.
Play Area
A play area is thought to be one of the safest places for a child, but it may still have hazards. Make sure that the area’s surface is not concrete or asphalt because this could injure your children should they take a tumble. Instead, opt for mulch or a thick layer of wood chips. Inspect sandboxes, playhouses, and swings for evidence of nesting or other dangers.
Additionally, make sure to do routine maintenance on all playground equipment. According to the CDC, unsafe playground equipment is one of the biggest causes of ER admissions annually.
Insects and Allergies
Allergies and pests are as inextricable to warmer months as blooming flowers and ice cream. An array of insects emerge with the end of winter, and they may lurk outside your home. Eliminate sources of standing water because these can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Be sure to apply child-friendly repellent to minimize the potential for unwanted bites.
As an extra precaution, avoid candy and foods containing sugar while outdoors and make sure garbage is not near play areas. When it comes to allergies, consult with a pediatrician for advice on what to do if there are any allergic reactions. Stock up on medication and identify sources of allergens in your environment.
Set Boundaries
No matter what precautions we take as parents, kids will be kids. There will always be dangers outside, so the best foundations for a safe environment will be rules and supervision. That won’t, however, mean taking the fun out of spring and summer. It may simply be prudent to have young children play only when supervised or in specific areas that are safest.
If you have older kids, discourage them from playing in unsafe areas. Some areas of your yard, such as those with concrete and asphalt, may not be suitable for playing. Activities like climbing or hide-and-seek may also become dangerous in certain places, so limit play where there is any doubt of safety.
While there is always fun to be had during the warmer months, there are many dangers children may not be aware of. That is why it is important to plan and prepare for any danger. Your home can be a truly safe environment when you have taken the right precautions.
Looking for more on getting your home ready for warm weather? Check out these posts:
How to Clean Your House for Spring (PLUS your free printable checklist)
7 Ways to Make Chores Less of a Chore
3 Cleaning Routines and Choosing the One that is Right for You
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