Having a nice, spacious garden can often be both a blessing and a curse to parents. While it’s always a pleasure to see your children milling about in nature, a garden can also contain a lot of hazards for kids, be it dangerous equipment or simply the presence of too many trip hazards.
If you design your garden right, however, you can transform it into the ultimate playground for your kids, while simultaneously having the peace of mind that they’re unlikely to get injured. You should also keep in mind, though, that if you’re planning on making long-term changes to your garden, then your kids might grow out of it! Anyhow, here are some top tips that you should consider when building a child-friendly garden.
1) Stay clear of dangerous plants
While this might not be the first thing that comes to your head, it surely is important. Many people purchase and grow plants simply based on their visual appeal, but don’t take into consideration whether they can be poisonous or are skin irritants. The last thing you want is a young child biting into a poisonous plant and having to head to the hospital! That’s why it is important to do your research beforehand.
2) Build a climbing frame
If you’re really looking to turn your garden into the ultimate children’s playground, then this should certainly be at the top of your to-do list. Climbing frames can be super fun, but you need to make sure you take safety precautions into account. For instance, use soft building materials and, if it goes high, install nets so that the children don’t hurt themselves should they fall.
3) Choose appropriate garden furniture
Certain materials used to make garden furniture, particularly metal, tend to be extremely heavy for children to carry, and very hard, should they happen to hit their heads on it. That’s why purchasing rattan garden furniture could be a good idea for you. Not only is it visually appealing in the sense that it blends in with a natural background, but it’s also very light and soft, reducing the risk of your children getting injured.
4) Buy some flower press kits
Okay, to be honest, this point doesn’t have much to do with designing a garden, but it certainly is one way to keep your children entertained. If you’re the type of parent that wants the garden to be a relaxing place that you can also enjoy, then this is a great way to keep your kids entertained, while simultaneously getting them mesmerized by nature.
5) Build a den
Even if you don’t have a den in your back garden, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll need to build one from scratch. If you’ve got a garden shed, for instance, then you could either convert the whole thing or simply make an extension that the kids can use and their den!
