Transform your garage into a safe play area for your kids

Garages and children are likely not things you think of going hand in hand… Garages are usually dirty, and can be very dangerous places. So, it’s no wonder you generally advise your children to stay out of the garage.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. What if you could transform your garage into a safe play area for your kids, so they have somewhere to run around even when the weather is bad?

1. Teach your children not to play with the garage door

   I’m sure you’ve already explained to them not to operate the wall control panel by themselves, and certainly not to stand in the way of the door when it’s opening or closing, and not to climb on the reinforcement struts. But still, give them a quick refresher course to ensure no-one gets their fingers trapped in something they shouldn’t.

2. Store hazardous materials out of their reach

   A really easy way to make sure your kids can’t get hold of anything they shouldn’t, is to use cabinets rather than shelves. Why not take it a step further and store any dangerous or toxic products in locked cabinets?

3. Make sure there’s nothing they can climb on

   Hang ladders horizontally and out of their reach to avoid injuries from falling. Don’t forget to check there are no ropes dangling down that children can grab onto. We don’t call them little monkeys for no reason!

4. Keep electricals unplugged and out of sight

   The last thing you want is one of your children becoming seriously injured through curiosity, so make sure all electricals and power tools are unplugged and out of sight. It’s also important to remember to wrap cords up so that children cannot grab hold of them and pull tools down from their storage place.

5. Don’t leave car doors open

   Ideally, you don’t want to leave your car in the garage at all while the kids are in there playing, after all, you don’t want the car to become damaged. But, if you have a double garage you could leave one car in there. If you do, make sure it’s locked so that the children cannot play in it and either injure themselves or damage the car.

6. NEVER leave your children unsupervised

   Use your common sense, if your children were playing in the garden, you would want them within your sights. So, ensure you can always see what they are doing while they are in the garage!