How To Create A Child-Friendly Garden – Many parents dream of a garden where their child can learn about nature and stay safe at the same time. To help them to have a happy childhood, you should create a safe area where they could play and put together a corner for adults where you could have your morning coffee and keep an eye on your little one. You could also take the opportunity to support the development and learning of your child. Let the garden impact all of their senses and allow them to get closer to nature. A strong fence could bring you peace of mind and protect your child from animals. Here are safety considerations you should keep in mind when creating a child-friendly garden.
How To Create A Child-Friendly Garden
Surround The Garden By A Fence
The attention span of children is much different from adults. They can pay attention for only a short time. So, it could happen that your child wanders off or starts to chase after something they find interesting. Investing in a solid fence could help you to monitor the movement of your little one better and protect them from getting lost. Even though we wish that all the people were good, there might also be some intruders who could put your child in danger. The fencing could help you to keep any unwanted visitors away and allow your child to stay clear of such threats. You might also be able to keep any wild and stray animals away. Your little one might not realise how dangerous some animals could be, so it’s best to invest in a fence that could prevent them from coming in.
Turn To Professionals For Advice
Starting from scratch and transforming your garden into a land development project could mean that you need planning permission. And before you make any changes to the land, you need to get an ecological impact assessment. A friendly team from Arbtech could provide you with ecological consultancy and effective guidance. That could help you to make your application for the planning permission successful and allow you to kickstart the project. However, you might need professional help throughout the entire process. Perhaps you might want to get in touch with a garden landscaper or designer who could help you to choose the right plants and trees for your land. That might help you to keep your children safe and keep the garden clear of any dangers.
Try To Avoid Toxic Plants
Children are always curious, and they might want to interact with the plants and bushes that you have in the garden. The careful choice could help you to make their exploring and adventures much safer and protect them from poisoning. If there are any toxic plants, you could put in danger your children, pets and even yourself and other visitors. Thorough research could help you to avoid any plants that could cause rashes, allergies or even pierce the skin. Try to fill the garden with plants and shrubs that aren’t harmful. Some of them could even be edible and allow your little one to have a treat throughout the day full of playing and adventures. Finally, make sure that you lock away any herbicides, pesticides and other products you use to take care of the plants. When they’re out of sight of your children, they won’t be as tempted. Still, keep them out of reach and ensure that only adults have access to the products.
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Stay Clear Of Water Features
Water features are fantastic when you want to create a peaceful garden. The sound of running water could help you to relax, and a pond could contribute to a tranquil atmosphere. But children love to run around and might not have the same sense of safety as adults. Children love to play in the water, and it might be difficult to keep up with them at all times. Even a small distraction could lead to a tragedy and put your child in danger. Avoiding water features in a garden where you want your children to move around safely could help you to prevent accidents and other stressful situations. Water could also attract birds, insects, frogs and other animals into the garden. And while it’s important for your little ones to learn about nature, the connection between water and exciting animals could put your safety efforts in jeopardy.
Support The Senses Of Your Children
A sensory garden could help your children to engage all of their senses:
- Sight
- Smell
- Taste
- Touch
- Hearing
Filling the garden with beautiful plants and flowers could entertain your kids with a lovely scent. The combination of smells could encourage them to explore each plant individually. Keeping the plants and flowers at the height of your children’s noses could make their learning more accessible. On the other hand, wind chimes, rustling grasses, or bamboo tree stems could stimulate the hearing of your children. Sweet fruit, edible flowers or vegetables could encourage them to taste different things and fill their diet with much-needed vitamins throughout the day. Different plants could also help your little ones to understand various textures and create a more exciting experience. Lastly, all the bright colours and shades of flowers and plants could help your children to learn about colours and help them to differentiate all the plants from each other.
Protect Your Children From Harm
As you can see, protecting children in your garden doesn’t need to be difficult. But you need to do enough research and make sure that you know all the plants, trees and flowers that are in your garden. All the exciting elements could help your children to explore and learn more about the world around them. However, you should remember that every child also needs time to play. So, create a dedicated area where they could bring all the toys and play safely. At the same time, you might want to design an area for adults where you can chat and keep an eye on your children. Don’t forget that such a big project might require you to apply for planning permission. Ensure that you follow all the rules and obligations. And when you have any questions or need additional support, don’t hesitate to turn to professionals who might be able to help.
