Making a yard clean and safe for children to play in is vitally important. Many accidents happen each year from unsafe play areas. Children, especially young ones, seldom pay a lot of attention to their surroundings as they are running and investigating their outdoor world. If you have children and a yard for them to play in, here is a checklist to help you provide a safe and clean outdoor experience:

• Take note of the ages of the children who will be using the yard. If there is a wide age difference, it will be more difficult to keep it safe as older children use play equipment sometimes dangerous to younger ones. For example, baseball bats lying around or ropes can tempt a young child to harm another child or wrap the rope around their neck and possibly get the rope caught and pulled tight. Check each evening for unsafe items lying around.

• Keep a covered container or shed for holding play equipment and outdoor toys. Teach children to return what they use to the storage area rather than just throwing it on the ground.

• Make sure hoses, and other gardening tools are securely rolled up and or put away.

• Some plants are poisonous when parts such as leaves, stems, flowers, or seeds are eaten. Research what these plants are and keep them out of your play yard.

• If there are any wooden areas such as deck, porch, footpath, climbing equipment, or railings, check for splinters on a regular basis.

• Provide outdoor activities and equipment that are age-appropriate. Young children can get very frustrated when the items in the yard are too advanced for their skill level.

• Caution older children about the dangers of throwing balls too hard and too far. Younger children can get hit and injured; windows can get broken; neighbors will complain if balls keep coming in their yard.

• Keep grass mowed and free of loose sticks and stones.

• Check for biting insects such as red ants and spiders. Avoid planting foliage that will attract bees, wasps, and hornets.

• If there will be swings, place them in a corner, so children don’t run in front of them as they traverse the yard. It is a good idea to put a safe, absorbing material under the swing or large play equipment to not only buffer any falls but also to keep the ground from getting muddy.

• When pets, especially dogs, are part of the family dynamic, it is important to clean their elimination debris every day. Flies, especially horse flies that bite, are attracted to this, and children step in it and bring it inside.

• Keep outdoor containers free from standing water. Small children can drown in an inch of water. Too, mosquito larvae will settle in standing water, and an increase of mosquitos will soon be evident.

Children of all ages should be able to enjoy outside play as often as possible. Fresh air and exercise are known to help make healthy minds and bodies. It is up to us, the adults in their life, to make and keep the yards they play in safe and clean.