Garden Playground: Safety Can Be Fun

Turning your garden into a wonderful playground for kids doesn't actually require much. Little adventurers already love to hide behind bushes or hedges, climb trees, or get soaked by the sprinkler on hot summer days. No matter its size, the garden can make an important contribution to a child's upbringing. It's where kids learn to test their strength and observe nature throughout the seasons. Even preschoolers enjoy their first exploration tours in the garden, staying within sight and earshot of their parents.

However, one criterion should always be met: safety.

Swings, sandboxes, and paddling pools are staples in any family garden. If there aren't old trees available, a climbing frame can be set up as an alternative. To allow children to satisfy their urge to move, slides, treehouses or stilt houses, a trampoline, balance beams, and pull-up bars are also ideal.

In any case, play equipment should bear the GS mark for "Geprüfte Sicherheit" (Tested Safety) awarded by TÜV. Furthermore, it's crucial to ensure that swings and other gymnastics or climbing equipment are securely anchored in the ground. For wooden play equipment, there should be no rotten or brittle spots. Wood rot can occur particularly where water can penetrate the wood through cracks or at the transitions of supporting posts, which in turn compromises stability. If fungi grow on wooden play equipment, it's a sign that the wood is no longer sound.

Beneath all swings or climbing frames, appropriate fall protection is essential. This can include special rubber mats or tiles, as well as natural materials like bark mulch or special playground chips. The latter are splinter-free wood chips that don't rot quickly.

Depending on the fall protection material and the potential fall height, different excavation depths are required. It's crucial that water can drain away easily beneath the fall protection and that play equipment doesn't stand in puddles for extended periods.

Plants also hold a special fascination for children. Generally, children must learn from a young age that they absolutely cannot pull off and put everything into their mouths. Even if poisonous plants can be removed from your own garden, at the latest during a family outing in the forest, parents must trust that their children have learned a certain caution around unknown plants.

It's not always just pools or ponds that can be dangerous for little ones. Open water collection points also pose risks, as children can fall in while playing and be unable to get out on their own. It's advisable to secure rainwater barrels or wells with child-safe lids and to make pools, swimming ponds, or garden ponds inaccessible to children.

As an alternative to fencing, you could install a tear-resistant safety net directly below the water's surface. This also keeps out animals that might fancy catching a fish. The drawback of safety nets is that they aren't sufficient for very young children, as their arms aren't strong enough to pull themselves up after a fall.

As a general rule: the younger the children, the more intensive adult supervision needs to be. As children get older, they can play more and more independently, though an adult should still always be within earshot.