Are you a young family which has just recently moved into a new property? Or perhaps you’re a new and proud grandparent and you’d like to make your home a little safer for children? Whatever the case, we cannot overstate how important it is to create a “child-friendly” garden (tips at DIYNetwork.com). This will afford you the peace of mind to allow your children outside to play, so that they can connect with nature, build up and immune system and most important of all: have fun! So, where to begin?
First of All, You’ll Need Great Turf
This is the big one! You can’t expect your children to play around on concrete or in the dirt. So, you’ll need to lay down a beautiful turf for your lawn. But of course, it’s not just about aesthetics. You’ll need something which is durable, recovers well and is comfortable under foot. You won’t want your little one’s rolling around on sharp grass!
We would recommend a nice turf like Palmetto Buffalo. It’s highly resistant, holds a wonderful colour and can thrive in all weather conditions. Once you’ve found something that you like, find yourself a quality supplier and then voila! Get it laid and growing ready in time for summer.
What Plants Should You Avoid?
Well, you definitely shouldn’t litter the garden with cacti that’s for certain. You’ll want to opt for durable plants which have no toxic properties and aren’t likely to snap and break on contact. Kids like to explore and smell flowers and unfortunately this often involves a lot of grabbing. You would also do well to avoid more tropical and bold leafed plants as they are notorious for attracting mosquitoes.
Why not try and grow mushrooms with your child? Check out rootlab.com.au for mushroom growing kits that we’re sure your child will love.
What Surfaces are Suitable?
Your safest option would be to cover the entire garden in a soft turf. However, that means that you and your friends will be able to enjoy a nice decking area for drinks and BBQ seasons. That said, wooden decking is much better for impact absorption should your children trip over.
We’d recommend setting up a play area in a more secluded part of the garden far away from hard surfaces. That way you can keep an eye on them without worrying about them running into anything or tripping up the decking.
If You Want a Playhouse, Be Careful!
Playhouses are awesome and children love them. However, you must be incredibly careful. Keep it in a bright location to avoid it becoming home to spiders. But you must also endeavour to check it every time before your children play. You wouldn’t want them to get bitten by something dangerous. Keep it clean and pest free and ensure that it’s not got any exposed screws or splinters. It can be a lot of fun, but it can be quite dangerous if left unchecked for too long.
Have Fun & Be Safe
Provided that you are careful when selecting which plants to have, what turf to install and which games to play, you shouldn’t have too many issues. Of course, there are always going to be scuffs and bumps, it’s a part of growing up. It’s your job to ensure that the scuffs and bumps don’t turn into anything worse!
Make sure that your garden is enclosed if you’re going to let them play unsupervised. But of course, be sure to check on them regularly and keep the doors and windows open. Naturally, if you want to prevent bugs from getting inside, then you’ll need to have some flyscreen’s installed. Just remember to tell your kids otherwise they’ll come flying into them!
