Playing It Safe in the Play Area

Keeping your children’s play area both safe and fun can be a difficult balance to reach. Here are a few hints to achieve the perfect kid-friendly play space:

1. Once your little one starts to stand, he or she will likely try just about every piece of furniture for support, so check that each piece is sturdy and stable and won’t tip over onto your child. You may want to attach the furniture to the wall.

2. Make sure there’s enough storage space. Toys on the floor can be a hazard, so encourage your kids to clean up. Organize with ease using lots of low, open storage bins, baskets and shelves so there’s little need to reach or climb. Just remember, the furniture should have smooth surfaces and rounded corners. If you use a toy chest, reinforce the hinges so the lid will stay open in any position, and won’t slam shut on a little hand. Make sure the hinges can’t pinch children, either. In addition, remove any locks and drill a few air holes just in case a child does get trapped inside.

3. When you get down to it, children love to play on the floor, so make sure it’s easy to keep clean and soft enough when kids fall down. Non-slip rugs on top of resilient or wood flooring are a good option.

4. Stop shock risk. Use outlet plates and covers to keep plug sockets safe from probing fingers. Be sure the covers can’t be easily removed and are too large to become choking hazards if they are pried off by toddlers. When replacing receptacles, get the tamper-resistant kind.

5. Childproof the windows. Use window stops that will let the window open no more than four inches and install window guards so children can’t fall out. Just be sure adults and older children can open them easily in case of fire. Never depend on screens to keep children safe. Open windows from the top whenever possible and don’t put furniture that kids can climb on near windows.

6. Replace older window coverings with today’s safer products to avoid the potential dangers posed to young children by window treatments with cords. Window covering cord safety is a top priority for Hunter Douglas. The window treatment company offers a wide variety of product operating systems that eliminate lift cords or substantially reduce access to them, including a new PowerView Motorization system.

More information is available at www.hunterdouglas.ca.

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