Safe, Summer Fun In Your Backyard
Summer is the perfect time to get outside, travel and explore but some of the best time may be spent enjoying your very own backyard. Your backyard is a great spot to relax and have fun all summer long.
Are your kids getting ready to jump on the trampoline and swing on the playset? Are you all looking forward to swimming in the pool and roasting marshmallows over the fire pit at night?
These are all super fun backyard summer activities, just remember to keep these safety tips in mind when enjoying them:
Jumping on the Trampoline
A trampoline is always at the top of the backyard wishlist for children (and often adults too) but injuries on trampolines are quite common, resulting in approximately 100,000 injuries per year.
To keep your jumpers as safe as possible, make sure your trampoline is anchored to the ground and check it regularly for worn equipment. Trampoline enclosures and padded covers for all springs, edges and hooks are also recommended to keep jumpers from injuring themselves on the equipment or falling off the trampoline.
Restricting access to the trampoline by removing the ladder when not in use is a good way to make sure that children are not able to access the trampoline unsupervised. Setting ground rules for the number of jumpers at one time and the types of jumping allowed can also go a long way in preventing injuries.
Swinging on the Playset
Playsets can provide endless hours of outdoor fun for children but accidents do happen and you want to make sure your playset is in good condition to avoid any harm.
The playset should be on level ground and it is best to surround it with soft material such as sand or wood chips that can cushion a fall.
Check the playset regularly for any damage or rusted parts that may need repair, look for any small areas where children might accidentally get stuck and make sure children are always supervised.
Swimming in the Pool
On a hot summer day, a dip in the pool is just the ticket to cool off. Pools are a great addition to a backyard but can also present some serious safety hazards.
To keep your pool safe from uninvited guests and unsupervised children, enclose it with a fence that is a minimum of 5ft tall. The fence should have a latching feature on the gate that provides access to the pool. Also, when not in use, a pool cover can help to keep the pool clean and safe.
Children (and anyone who is not a skilled swimmer) should be supervised at all times around the pool.
Roasting Marshmallows on the Fire Pit
There’s nothing like sitting around a fire pit on a summer night, chatting with friends or roasting marshmallows for s’mores. However, where there’s fire, there’s always a potential hazard.
Fire pits should be placed in a spot away from the house, on a non-flammable surface away from any flammable materials like grass or tree branches.
When using the fire pit, don’t leave it unattended and ensure that the fire is completely extinguished (sand is great for this) before heading inside.
No matter how safe your backyard is, accidents do happen. Contact us today to make sure that you have proper liability coverage for all of your backyard equipment should an accident occur.
