As you know, I’m a huge advocate of getting kids out in the backyard for games like “Ghosts in the Graveyard” or “Cops and Robbers.” If it sparks their imagination and fosters creativity, I’m all for it.
But a recent article in Prevention, a magazine about healthy living, reminded me that we need to make sure our backyards are safe. According to the Home Safety Council, nearly a quarter of all drownings in the U.S. happens near home. They recommend people install a five-foot tall fence entirely around their pools.
The article, entitled “8 Health Risks in Your Own Backyard,” is a great eye-opener for families that spend a great deal of time in the backyard. (As they should!) A few of the items listed are things you wouldn’t normally give a second thought to, like having a weather-worn deck (which increases your chances of falling) or a bird bath—the perfect breeding place for mosquitoes.
If I had to add another one to the article, I’d warn parents against outlining their gardens with bricks near swing sets or having clutter in their yard to trip on. You never know when a child could fall off a swing or the monkey bars, and the last thing you need are bricks to cushion a fall.
Take a few moments to check your own yard, make adjustments for safety, and get those kids out to play!
— MB
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Ok, I'm sure you won't be advocating my favorite backyard game (as a kid, I'm 55 now). But as an adult I completely agree, and I love the imagery here: “Played a game in my younger life, a lot like Twister but with a knife. Threw the point into the ground to bend my friend’s body round. No one bled, and if they did they didn’t cry. Don’t recall a watchful eye. But I think we led safer lives when we played around with knives”. From John Mann’s 2007 CD “Mister Mann–December Looms” Song #7 “When we Played Around With Knives” http://www.johnmann.ca/music-7.html
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