Category Archives: Outdoor Safety Tips

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Safety Tips, Swing Sets & Play

4 Steps to Maintaining a Safe and Healthy Sandbox

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Sandbox Kit

Fast and Easy Tips for Play Time Safety

Kids don’t need costly, technologically complex toys and games in order to tap into their creative and imaginative powers. All that’s required to get kids’ creative juices flowing are some basic materials that can be found easily and inexpensively. One popular example of this is a sandbox. A big box or pit of sand and a few simple tools can keep kids occupied for hours.

Making sure the sandbox stays in good condition, though, is essential to ensuring that it remains a safe and healthy place to play. Unfortunately, the backyard sandbox is often missed by parents when it comes to play area maintenance. Here are four quick and easy tips for maintaining your backyard sandbox:

1. Replace the sand.

Over time, the sand in outdoor sand pits or sandboxes gets soiled and should be completely replaced. Generally speaking, replacing sand every year or two should be adequate, but more frequent changes might be needed depending on how often children play in the box and whether a sandbox cover is used consistently. Play sand, rather than building sand, is the best choice for children’s play areas because it is cleaner and free of materials, like clay, that are likely to stain clothing and skin.

2. Check sand toys.

Shovels, rakes, and other toys intended for sand play are not always the most durable of tools. Consequently, they don’t often last for more than a season or two. When sand toys or other tools used in the sandbox break, they can have sharp edges or pointy parts that can cause injuries. Before allowing kids to play in the sandbox this spring, check the condition of their sand toys. Toss out any broken or worn out tools, and replace them with tools made from more durable materials.

3. Check sand on a regular basis.

Don’t assume that the sandbox will stay in good condition over the course of the spring and summer. Sharp sticks, rocks, and other debris find their way into play sand quite easily. What’s more, sand toys may not be able to survive an entire season of active play. Checking the sand on a weekly basis allows you to discover and remove any potentially harmful debris and broken toys. You may also need to replenish play sand during these weekly check-ups, especially if kids have spent any time shoveling it out of the box.

4. Use a sandbox cover.

Sandbox covers are not used as extensively or as frequently as they should be, but they are one of the easiest and most important ways to maintain a safe and healthy sandbox. When used properly, sandbox covers prevent excess debris, like leaves, sticks, and rocks, from getting into the sand and creating a potential danger to children. Sandbox covers also protect sand from blowing away in strong breezes, and they keep insects from burrowing and nesting in the sand. Most importantly, sandbox covers prevent play sand from contamination by animals who use the sandbox as their toilet.

The only way to use sandbox covers successfully, of course, is to use them regularly when children are not playing in the box. Use sandbox covers that are made to fit your sandbox. Tarps and other makeshift covers can be easily dislodged or removed by animals or strong winds, making them unreliable and ineffective.

Overall, maintaining the backyard sandbox is a simple task that requires little time and few supplies. Keeping all play areas safe and healthy for your kids will give you peace of mind, and will provide your kids and their imaginations with hours of good, clean, simple fun.

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Safety Tips

4 Easy Steps to a Safe and Healthy Sandbox

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Sandboxes and Sandbox Covers

With spring just around the corner, the kids will soon be anxious to get outside and engage in some seriously fun backyard play time.  Have you had a chance yet to spruce up the sandbox?  Before the kids are allowed to start digging and shoveling, make sure the sandbox is ready for another season of active play.  The following four easy steps will help you ensure that the sandbox is clean, safe, and inviting for your kids.

1. Replace the sand.

Over time, the sand in outdoor sandboxes gets dirty and should be completely replaced periodically. Generally speaking, replacing sand every year or two should be adequate, but more frequent changes might be needed depending on how often children play in the box and whether a sandbox cover is used consistently. Play sand, rather than building sand, is the best choice for children’s play areas because it is cleaner and free of materials, like clay, that are likely to stain clothing and skin.

2. Inspect sand toys.

Shovels, rakes, and other toys intended for sand play are not always the most durable of tools. Consequently, they don’t often last for more than a season or two. When sand toys or other tools used in the sandbox break, they can have sharp edges or pointy parts that can cause injuries. Before allowing kids to play in the sandbox this spring, check the condition of their sand toys. Toss out any broken or worn out tools, and replace them with tools made from more durable materials.

3. Check sand on a regular basis.

Don’t assume that the sandbox will stay in good condition over the course of the spring and summer. Sharp sticks, rocks, and other debris find their way into play sand quite easily. What’s more, sand toys may not be able to survive an entire season of active play. Checking the sand on a weekly basis allows you to discover and remove any potentially harmful debris and broken toys. You may also need to replenish play sand during these weekly check-ups, especially if kids have spent any time shoveling it out of the box.

4. Use a sandbox cover.

Sandbox covers are not used as extensively or as frequently as they should be, but they are one of the easiest and most important ways to maintain a safe and healthy sandbox. When used properly, sandbox covers prevent excess debris, like leaves, sticks, and rocks, from getting into the sand and creating a potential danger to children. Sandbox covers also protect sand from blowing away in strong breezes, and they keep insects from burrowing and nesting in the sand. Most importantly, sandbox covers prevent play sand from being contaminated by animals who would like to use the sandbox as their toilet.

The only way to use sandbox covers successfully, of course, is to use them regularly when children are not playing in the box. Use sandbox covers that are made to fit your sandbox. Tarps and other makeshift covers can be easily dislodged or removed by animals or strong winds, making them unreliable and ineffective.

Overall, maintaining the backyard sandbox is a simple task that requires little time and few supplies. Keeping all play areas safe and healthy for your kids will give you peace of mind, and will provide your kids and their imaginations with hours of good, clean, simple fun.

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Safety Tips

Plan Ahead for Successful Swing Set Installation

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Spring is the perfect time to install a new backyard swing set or playground set for the kids, but don’t wait until spring to get started.  Installing a backyard playground properly requires some initial planning before the equipment is ever purchased.  Spend time now thinking about important details, and you’ll be ready for installation when spring arrives.

  • Equipment Choices — What kind of backyard playground will your children enjoy most?  Play sets come with a wide variety of equipment options in any number of configurations, so get together with your kids and make a list of the types of equipment they’d like best.  Swings, slides, and monkey bars are generally standard on playground sets, but swings and slides come in a number of different designs and colors.  Additionally, you can choose from climbing walls, tire swings, club houses, and rope ladders, which are just a few of the other playground accessories available for backyard equipment.
  • Best Location — A number of considerations must be made before choosing a location for your backyard playground set:
      • Avoid ground that slopes or is uneven. Level ground helps prevent playground equipment from tipping.
      • Select an area that is away from potentially dangerous obstacles such as trees, low branches and wires, stumps, roots, large rocks, fences, bricks, and concrete.
      • Plan for a safety zone of at least 6 feet around all playground equipment; set aside even more space in front of and behind swings.
      • Think about where you plan to position any metal or dark-colored slides or surfaces. Placing these out of direct sunlight can help prevent burns on hot, sunny days.
  • Safest Surface — What material do you plan to use underneath the backyard playground?  Grass and dirt do not provide adequate protection from injuries due to falls from equipment.  Pea gravel, sand, wood chips, and shredded or recycled rubber mulch are some of the recommended protective playground surface options available. 

With a bit of planning now, you can ensure that your backyard playground equipment is exactly what your kids want and that it’s installed in the best location possible when spring arrives.

Outdoor Lighting Ideas, Outdoor Safety Tips

Advantages of Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

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Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

Now that evenings are becoming gradually darker with each passing day, the need for landscape lighting increases.  If you don’t already have lighting installed on your property, consider low voltage landscape lighting as an option.  Low voltage lighting is often a more practical choice than high voltage lighting. Low voltage lights make use of a transformer which reduces the 120 volt house or business current to 12 volts.

Here are a few more of the many advantages low voltage lighting provides:

  • Security and Better Visibility: Low voltage lights that are strategically placed provide even illumination rather than dark shadows that are created by high voltage lights. Although light does not prevent crime, it can improve nighttime security for your home or business.
  • Safety: Residents and visitors can navigate around your property more safely when sidewalks and entrances are illuminated by landscape lights and drivers are not blinded by the glare of high voltage lighting.
  • Recreational Usage: You can enjoy your deck or other recreational area at night when you illuminate these private areas.
  • Property Value: Landscape lights help to improve the appearance of your property at night by accentuating shapes and textures of your landscape and structures. This serves to raise the property�s value and improve the community.
  • Economy: Low voltage lighting uses about a third of the power required for high voltage lighting, and when your property is properly lit, you achieve an energy efficient design. This in turn reduces your long-term operating costs.

Low voltage lights are usually installed along walkways, pathways, driveways, entrances, and steps. Low voltage lights can also be placed inside wells and ponds, and pointed up at trees, fences, and walls. The typical low voltage lighting system is composed of three items: a transformer, a low voltage electrical cable, and lighting fixtures. Each transformer should be plugged into a GFCI-protected outdoor outlet with a “while-in-use” cover that closes over and around the power cord.

Installing low voltage landscape lighting is an easy do-it-yourself project, and many home owners find that they can exercise their creativity when planning where to install the light fixtures. No matter where the lights are placed, though, you can feel confident that the choice of low voltage lighting offers the most advantages in landscape lighting options.

Outdoor Lighting Ideas, Outdoor Living Spaces, Outdoor Safety Tips

Create a Safely Lit Outdoor Area at Your Home

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Do you ever arrive home after dusk, blinded by darkness outside your home? Not only does this leave your fumbling for keys to unlock the door and falling over obstructions that may lie in your path, it also creates a dangerous scenario that leaves you venerable to thieves, robbers, and other harmful hiders. Create a safe and illuminated environment with outdoor lights. There are many styles and options to choose from that add functionality AND beauty. Here are just a few of the many great lights available for the outside of your home.

  • Solar Step Light: Perfect for lawns, gardens, and pathways, these stepping stones create sure footing with glow of light. They easily support up to 350 lbs of weight and harness the sun’s energy to power their efficient LED lights. There is no wiring to install and no operating costs – just beautiful style and a secure path.

Solar Stepping Stone

  • Security Light: If you need a stronger, steady light, security lights are a great solution. They bathe the outside of your home in light and create a safe area. Solar security lights offer the added function of saving money and electricity. The security light below can be set to light up upon detection of motion or set on a timer to illuminate before you arrive home. Installation is simple so you can have it installed instantly upon receipt.

Solar Security Light

  • Outdoor Lanterns: If your goal is to add light in the most elegant way possible, outdoor lanterns are for you! You can choose from electric lanterns, which operate off of standard household bulbs, or flame lanterns, which burn fuel. Many lanterns also come with planter flower pots around the bottom to add a beautiful gardening opportunity. Citronella oil, long known to ward off insects, can be burned in flame lanterns. In addition to a new source of light, you will repel flying pest from your home.

Islander Park Flame Lantern with Planter