25 Vital Backyard Safety Tips that You Would Regret Not Knowing Now

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Before I become a father, I rarely paid attention to local news. Not until I have daughters of my own, I naturally want to know what is going on in our neighborhood.

I recently read the news where a nine-month child is severed burned by the extremely hot water within a garden hose. 30% of his body was suffered second-degree burns. [1]https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-burned-by-scalding-water-from-garden-hose-left-in-sun-las-vegas/

It is always heartbroken to hear such a tragedy. Some accidents are unexpected, but many could totally be prevented with the right precaution.

Although a backyard should be a place for a child to have fun, if negligent to properly maintain it, there are many invisible risks. I would like to share with you some essential tips for keeping a backyard safe for your children. If you do find it helpful, please kindly share this with other parents.

1. Cool off Garden Hose Before Use

As mentioned above, when a garden hose is directly exposed to sunlight, the water trapped inside could be heated up severely. The boiling water can cause terrible burns, especially to children and animals.

You should let the water flow from the hose for a few minutes to ensure it is cool off before spraying on anyone. Note that even the sprayer could be very hot to grab on; therefore, I would wear protective gloves when releasing the heated water. I typically would spray the hot water onto the grass. As far as I can observe, the grass holds up completely fine on my lawn.

2. Secure the Garden Hose

The garden hose in my backyard used to lay freely on the deck. Although one might think it could save the trouble of tidying every time, it was very easy for me and my kids to trip over it and injure. Also, the hose would always get messily tangled up.

Therefore, I just bought a garden hose reel cart last week to secure it. It has a handle which makes it easy to wind the garden hose.

There are also different ways you could store the garden hose. Some could be a hanger on the wall. I have seen a reel where the garden hose could be wind within a box. Not only the box is a beautiful decoration piece, it should be able to protect the hose from direct sunlight exposure.

3. Inspect the Sandbox

Before a child plays on it, it is important to make sure that there are no sharp items such as glass, branches, or other debris in the sandbox. Animals could be using it as their litter box. (Well, squirrels are fertilizing my flower bed all the time.)

Furthermore, the sand could be very burningly hot when they have been under sunlight exposure for a long time. You should cover the sandbox when not playing. Every once in awhile, you might need to add some fresh new sand.

4. Repair Loose Step

Many houses have a couple of stairs steps at the entrance to their backyards.

I have a small area of interlock, and one of the steps was very loose. When I stepped on the edge of it, it could literally flip out. This could create a severe tripping hazard.

So I purchased a self-bonding cement solution to repair it. I first removed all the dirt in the empty step area with a leaf blower. I mixed the solution with water, where it would work like glue. Then I applied it to the empty spot and the step.

I put something heavy to give enough pressure for it to stick together and leave it overnight. Now it is nice and sturdy.

5. Take Good Care of the Deck

Since I started this website, I paid more close attention to other’s people backyard.

I have seen some very poorly maintained ones, where the woods become so soft, I actually feel that I can step right through them. Also, the paint is peeling off, and the wood splinter can easily get into your skin.

Since my daughters love to spend time on the deck, drawing with chalks and playing different games on it, I will do my best to ensure it is safe.

I would inspect it regularly. If there’s wood splinter sticking out, I will scrape it out with a flat trowel. Then every other year, I would peel off the loose paint and repaint the surface. It would protect the deck from direct sunlight exposure.

6. Keep the Outdoor Playset Clean

Children will be running around, jumping, sliding and playing very physically on their playset. It’s not hard to imagine that the playset could be filled with sweat and dirt after being played on a hot sunny day.

To make sure it will not create a health issue (i.e., Skin disease) the next time your child play on it, you should always clean it. Especially for inflatables, without the proper cleaning, it could build up mold and damage the playset.

>> Here are some tools I would use to keep the playset clean

7. Maintain the Playset

Beside cleaning them, you should inspect for damages everytime a child play on it. For example, is the metal swing getting rusted? Is there a hole on the inflatable water slide? What should you do when there’s mold in the bounce house?

To prevent injury, it is important to take care of the damaged playset immediately. You should also contact the manufacturer to see what are the proper ways to fix it.

8. Secure the Basketball Stand

Kids do not just like shooting the basketball, they also love doing layups or even try doing slamdunks. Therefore, it is very common for them to hit on the stand. Unless your basketball set is permanently installed to the ground, the portable one could have a risk of falling when too much pressure is pushing against it.

To address this problem, a good design basketball stand allows you to weight the base with sand or water. >> Here’s an article where I talked about different ways to secure a portable basketball

Rather than pouring sand, I also see some of my neighbors putting other heavy items such as woods, bricks, bags of soil on top of the base. But the problem is every impact could move the weighted items, (i.e.: the ball hitting the basketball stands, a child tries to make a slam dunk.). The items cannot secure the base effectively, so there is still a risk that the basketball set could fall down.

Besides the basketball stand is not designed in that way, this might damage the cover of the base. I would just follow on the instruction in the product manuals.

9. Maintain a Healthy Lawn

My first daughter likes to wear a dress. If the grass is too long, she would feel very uncomfortable walking in the backyard. To ensure my family could enjoy in the back garden, I would do the following:

Mow the Lawn
It’s hard to say how often I would mow the lawn. When there’s more rain, I typically mow it bi-weekly. But I have experienced super dry season before, where I would only need to do so once per month.

I prefer a lawn mower that is cordless, while it runs on electricity and not gas. This is the one which I have been using for over four years, and still in excellent shape.

Remove Weed
Weed is ignoring! Especially the one with thorns could really cut and stint people. Yes, I would use a weed removal tool to dig out some of them. However, my backyard is right next to a park. Regardless of how many I take out, they would grow back again shortly.

I find it the best way to handle this is to have a healthy lawn in the first place. Whenever there is a weed, remove it and replant the grass in the empty spot. The healthier the grass and the better the soil, the lesser chance of having weeds. Water your lawn regularly and provide it with a good nutrient such as compost.

Fill up Holes
There could be many reasons why there would be holes in a backyard. It could be dug by animals, ants, or as a result of tree removal. (Hey, I recently remove a tree in my yard, here’s the article in case you’re interested). The holes could create a tripping hazard.

What I did is fill up the holes with gardening soil, replant it with grass seed and continue watering the spot until the grass grow up healthy and beautiful.

Hey, do you want to know what kind of equipment I’m using to keep my lawn safe and healthy for my family? >>Here’s the list!

10. Remove Debris from Lawn

If you just have a birthday or barbecue party in the backyard, there could be leftover foods or used utensils left on the ground. Without cleaning it, it could attract wild animals and flies.

I have a few pine trees in my yard. I understand it is impossible to pick up all the pine cones. Beside I don’t think it is necessary, this seems to be a good food source for the squirrels.

However, I do notice there are fallen tree branches on the lawn. Some of them have sharp edges which could potentially injure my children. I would reck them in a pile, and shred them into small pieces for compost usage.

11. Inspect the Trees

I’m not just talking about the regular tree pruning, but also to examine the tree to see if there is any hazard of falling. There are different signs that a tree is needed to be removed. For example, it is leaning, or a considerable portion of it is hollow.

I recently had an experience in removing a leaning tree due to safety concern. Here’s a post on how I detected a tree in a hazard. https://backyardforkids.com/removing-trees-from-backyard/

12. Install a Fence

Having a backyard fence not only provide you with added privacy, but it also helps to set a boundary for your children to play safely.

Last year, one of my daughter’s friend hosted a birthday party in her backyard. However, their yard does not have any fences. Cars were driving right next to them, and strangers can easily walk nearby the children. Although we tried to pay close attention in supervising the kids, it was quite stressful as the kids kept trying to play on the road, instead of staying in the yard.

In addition to the fences, you should lock the backyard gate whenever that is not being used.

13. Layers of Pool Protection

There’s no doubt that children love to play in the water. However, without the layers of protection in place, there could be a severe risk of drowning for a child.

According to an article from WebMD, children between age 1 to 4 have the highest risk of getting drowned [2]https://www.webmd.com/children/features/new-pool-safety-gadgets-help-prevent-drowning#1.

Surprisingly, most of these tragedies happened even when there was already adult supervision. Therefore, it is vital to have layers of protection.

  • Build a four-sided fence at least 4 feet tall surrounding the pool. (Different cities have different bylaws, so make sure to check with your local government)
  • The fence must have a self-closing and self-latching, where the latch should be out of reach for the children.
  • Clear the surrounding of the fence so that the child could not use them as a ladder in climbing over.
  • Do not put toys near the pool. This will incentivize a child in trespassing the fences.
  • Set the alarm on the fence, so it will alert you when it is open.
  • Always cover the pool when not used. Choose one that is rigid and cover close the pool tightly. (Of course, make sure no one is in the pool before you wrap it, else that could end up like one of the Hollywood’s movie.)
  • Install an underwater motion alarm within the swimming pool. I really like this idea. If the alarm sends off signals when there is a motion on the water surface level, then wind can easily cause false alarms. Then just like the “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” story, after you get disturbed too many times unnecessarily, you’ll eventually ignore all the alarms.

Some parents suggested teaching a child to swim. Although I do understand their intention, it is not enough. The reason is most of the drowning occurs in children who are under four years old. Therefore, even if they do know how to swim, some of them might not be capable of exiting the pool on their own.

For minor children, consider wearing a life jacket while playing by the pool. If you are hosting a party with many children, hire a lifeguard.

 

14. Clean the Pool Regularly

A dirty pool can pose a health issue. Not only it could foster algae, mold, and other microorganisms, but it could also reduce the longevity of your pool. I did a bit of online research, and many people suggest the following steps to keep the pool clean:

  • Skim any dirt and debris on the water surface
  • Vacuum the pool (Hey, not just a regular vacuum, they are the ones specially designed for cleaning a pool)
  • Rinse and backwash the filter after vacuum
  • Check the PH level of the water

Make sure you use the appropriate equipment for the above tasks. Also, there could be other procedure to clean the pool. For example, drain out all the water every once in awhile to thoroughly wash the pool. If you are unsure how to do it yourself, you should consult with a Certified Pool Operator.

15. Drain Standing Water

There was a time I washed a plastic bucket in my backyard but forgot to bring it back to my house. It went raining afterward. The next day, I went to get the bucket. There were already mosquitoes, some of them are flying around it, and some of them are lying dead within the water.

Even a small amount of standing water could attract mosquitoes. This would increase the chance of your child getting bites and virus such as West Nile. Standing water can be commonly found in birdbath, fountains, and planters. So make sure you drain them or replace them with fresh one regularly.

 

16. Beware of Summer Heat

  • Check with the weather forecast. Do not allow a child to play outside if there is a heat wave warning.
  • Wear light color of clothing
  • Apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30. Some would require you to apply them at least 20 to 30 minutes before heading out. Also, there could be an age restriction for infants.
  • Wear sunglasses with UV protection
  • Keep the child hydrated. Drink plenty of water. Wipe their face and body with a cool and wet towel.
  • Playset such as slides, swing could get extremely hot when they are directly exposed under the sun for an extended period. Cool down the playset with a cool and wet towel. Just make sure you don’t apply excessive water where it could cause a hazard of slippery.
  • Games such as water slide, water park, water balloon or simply sensory water play could be good choices on a hot summer day
  • Do not spend excessive time directly under the sun. Take a break indoors or under shades in between play sessions.

17. Beware of Cold Weather

  • Check the weather forecast. Do not allow a child to play outside if there’s snowstorm, ice storm, or extremely low-temperature warning.
  • Dress appropriately. Wear a hat, mittens, neck warmer, snow boots, snow pants. To keep a child warm, dress them in layers of clothing
  • Snow is highly reflective of sunlight. To prevent snow blindness, your child should wear sunglasses or sun goggles.
  • Do not wear clothing that is too tight. It could restrict the child’s blood circulation and mobility.
  • A child should be dressed in one more layer of clothing than an adult.
  • Take an indoor break for every 20 to 30 minutes.
  • If a child develops hypothermia or frostbite, you should bring them indoors immediately and contact the medical emergency.

18. Store & Lock Gardening Tools

I have many awesome tools for making my lawn beautiful. However, some of them could pose serious injury if a child accidentally uses them. Below are the gardening tools I would definitely store away from my child after every usage.

  • Lawnmower
  • Trimmer
  • Wood Chipper
  • Saw
  • Leaf Reck
  • Leaf Blower
  • Shovel
  • Plant Cutter

I typically would store them in my shed, where there is a combo lock in making sure my daughters cannot get access to it.

Besides the gardening tools, there are also toxic chemicals which I would store and lock. For example, the winter road salt, ant killer, cement solution, and the paints of the deck.

19. Do not Allow Children in the Backyard When Working on Heavy Duties Equipment

Although it is good to introduce gardening chores to a child, some of the tasks are not age-appropriate.

For example, I would never let my daughters be in the backyard when I’m mowing the lawn, using the trimmer, sawing the branches, and operating the wood chipper. Even when I work on this equipment, I always wear protective gears such as eye goggle, earbuds, and safety gloves.

There are other times a child should wait for a few days before going into a backyard. It could be right after the deck, and fence painting is done, or chemical has just been applied to the lawn.

 

20. Keep Children Away from Barbecue Grill & Fire Pit

Barbecue party is fun and a favorite activity for many families. When you are working on the grill set, it is crucial to keep the children away from it. Since it is very likely you’ll be focusing on preparing the foods, rather than multitasking; you should get another adult to supervise the children.

As for a bonfire during the winter, you want a child to be close enough to enjoy the heat, but not too close they would get injured from it.

Make sure a fire is completely out before you leave the backyard.

21. Prevent Wild Animals from Entering Backyard

Young Fox Kit Kits Playing Saskatchewan Canada

© PixelRockstar.com

Not only wild animals can damage your garden, but some could also injure a child. Here are some ideas in preventing them from staying in your backyard.

– If your garbage bin is placed in the yard, make sure always to close the lid. Choose one where the cover can be locked securely.
– Place a motion-activated sprinkler or sonic repellant to scare off unwanted animals

There are also other ways to deter wild animals from coming to a backyard. Here’s the post with more details: https://backyardforkids.com/how-to-stop-foxes-from-entering-your-garden/

 

22. Examine Playset that is Installed to a Tree

When ropes are hanging outdoors for a long time, it could get rotten from the exposure to the sun and rain. If you have installations to a tree such as slicking lining and hammock, you should review them regularly to ensure the rope material is still strong and that it is firmly tied to the trees.

You should also inspect a treehouse in making sure it is still safe for a child to play in.

 

23. Rules on Playing on Trampoline

There’s no doubt that bouncing on a trampoline is super fun, but without proper safety precaution, it could lead to severe injury to children. Here are some safety guidelines you should make sure a child will follow:

  • Adult supervision is always required
  • Only one child trampolining at any given time
  • Do not jump too close to the edge
  • No somersault or flips
  • Do not jump off a trampoline
  • Do not go under the trampoline when someone is jumping

You could find other important Trampoline’s Dos and Don’ts in this post.

Should I Buy my Child a Trampoline?

24. Install Playset at a Proper Location

Most playset should be installed at a flat surface where it is clear of hazardous items in the surrounding. Some kids might feel uncomfortable playing slides, as they often land on a hard surface. Consider putting some wood mulch/chips, engineered wood fiber (EWF), or shredded/recycled rubber mulch on the ground. Also make sure the play structure is installed firmly to the ground.

For playset that is:

  • Up to 8 feet in height, you’ll need to keep a minimum depth of 9 inches of loose-fill materials such as wood mulch/chips, engineered wood fiber (EWF), or shredded/recycled rubber mulch
  • Up to 4 feet in height, use a minimum of 6 inches of protective surfacing

Here are some details on how to prepare a surface for playset installation.

25. Educate a Child with Safety Rules

There are specific ground rules I would go over with my daughters when they play in the backyard.

  • Do not eat any plants in a yard as we are unsure which one is eligible. Even when we have growing fruits in the flower bed, they need to be washed before eating.
  • Do not chase after bees.
  • Do not attempt to touch any wild animals. For example, squirrels, birds, and fox.
  • Do not use the garden hose until I have given permission. Once again, it is vital in making sure the water inside the hose is not boiling before they could use it.

 

In conclusion, the reason I’m sharing this safety tips is not to discourage a child from playing outdoors. Rather we should exercise with some precaution so that they could have fun while playing safely.

Although it is impossible to list out all the possible risks, many can be avoided with careful observation and common sense.

Last but not least, even when we go through the safety rules with a child, and inspect the play structure regularly, nothing can replace adult supervision.

Instead of looking at your smartphone while your child is playing, why not join in the fun and play together. Not only this could ensure their safety, but it could also be a memorable moment of family bonding.

 

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