Patios aren’t the most child-friendly surfaces. They can get slippery during the rainy season, increasing the risk of slips and trips. If you have an elevated porch, your toddler might slip through the spaces in the railings.
It’s important to safeguard your patio and make it more suitable for children. This way, you can maximise the use of your outdoor living space without fearing for your child’s safety.
Just Patios, a trusted patio builder in the Sunshine Coast, shares five quick but effective ways to make your backyard more child-friendly.
- Soften the surfaces
Softening your outdoor surfaces helps decrease the severity of injuries in case your kid falls or trips. This is imperative especially if your children like running around in the yard.
Consider using non-skid, non-slip materials for slippery surfaces, such as patios, pavers and walkways. Rubber flooring or playmats provide a good grip, reducing the risk of falls and accidents.
If you want to grow a large lawn for aesthetic purposes, choose groundcovers that are soft but can be walked on without getting destroyed. Some examples are Dichondra, Zoysia and Dymondia. You can also opt for artificial grass. They’re aesthetically pleasing, hardy and require minimal maintenance.
- Barricade balcony spaces
Safeguard the railing spaces on your elevated porch to keep your toddler from slipping through the gaps. You can do this by adding slabs of plexiglass or acrylic sheets to the rails.
Don’t choose materials like netting or wire for barricading your balcony spaces. These aren’t very sturdy and can easily be damaged by extreme weather or tampering.
- Add plenty of shade
Shade is very important for your outdoor space, especially since summers in the Sunshine Coast can be unforgiving. Shading your patio ensures that your child can still play outdoors even in the hot months, all while keeping them from getting sunburnt.
You can add shade onto your patio through various ways, including retractable awnings or insulated roof panels. The best thing about these two solutions is they can maintain a comfortable temperature on your patio while giving you much-needed shade.
- Grow safe plants
You need to be mindful of the plants you grow when you have children. You can’t supervise your toddlers every minute they’re in the yard, so it’s better to avoid growing potentially dangerous plants altogether.
Avoid prickly plants like roses, cacti and succulents, among others. Other plants are poisonous, such as golden dewdrop, angel’s trumpet and daphnes. Some of these spontaneously grow, so you need to remove them immediately before they harm your child.
- Designate play spaces
Child-friendly zones are the easiest way to control the ways your kids interact in outdoor spaces. Designated play spaces attract their attention and steer them away from potentially hazardous areas.
Think about what your children love and make sure to introduce those elements in their play spaces. For example, you can include a sandbox, cubby house or even their own garden bed. These features will not only keep your kids from getting into trouble, they’ll also teach your kids some valuable skills, like gardening.
It can be difficult to balance child-friendliness and the kind of design you want when planning your outdoor living space. Luckily, there are professional patio designers and builders who can help you out. Describe your needs and plans for your outdoor space and the experts will turn your vision into reality.
Patio Builders for Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast
Just Patios specialises in building patios and patio covers across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Our team also does other room enclosures, including glass rooms and carports, delivering a high standard of workmanship in every project. Our goal is to help homeowners achieve the indoor-outdoor lifestyle they want.
Call us today to request an obligation-free quote.