Every year around 137,000 children under 14 go to hospital after being injured in the garden. I know with my own children that most of our injuries have been as a result of games getting boisterous and over excited children bumping and scraping. Attempts to ride bikes without stabilizers can cause scraped knees and babies toddling for the first time finding the new environment wonderful and thinking it is snack time on your plants.

Hints on how to minimise the risk

• try to make sure your children can't get onto roads or other people's gardens. Keep gates shut and bolted and check there are not gaps in hedges and fences.
• fill in garden ponds - they can make good sand pits. If you don't want to fill them in ensure they are fenced off or covered.
• lock garden tools away in a shed or secure area. Never leave electrical equipment plugged in when not in use. Keep BBQ's out of reach, especially when you have finished cooking.
• keep all garden chemicals locked away. Never be tempted to transfer chemicals to other plastic bottles, like lemonade, children will recognise the bottle and be tempted to drink it.
• fence of greenhouses and keep doors locked.
• keep paths, patios and steps clean and well maintained to help avoid trips and falls
• clear up dog or cat mess, even if it is not your own pet
• check all garden toys are in good working order, swing ropes have not thrayed over the winter months, and that climbing frames and slides are still bolted and safe.
• if you have a trampoline ensure that you have a safety net around the outside and that you control the number of children at any time. It is not easy to have just one child at a time as they want to bounce together, but monitor their play to minimise injury
• keep a cover on the sandpit to minimise cats from using it as a toilet.

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