Whilst being outside is great fun, its also a time for caution and a bit of common sense to make sure everyone has a good time. Kids are going to have accidents and these often serve as an important lesson in their development but none of us want to see needless accidents so here are a few pointers...

Set boundaries and rules - make sure children know the rules for playing outside. Set boundaries, both physical i.e. "not past the bench" and rules like "no climbing over the side of the slide". If the kids understand the rules and they are enforced, outside play need be no more risky than inside play.

Be prepared - set out the play area, clear obstacles and shut gates and doors. Often its that unattended item that was meant to be cleared away the day before that causes harm. A bottle of witch hazel, a few tissues and wet cloth can sooth most bumps and scrapes but a first aid kit is handy for those more serious injuries.

Safety near water - mostly obvious but supervision is key, water is so much fun but can quickly cause problems for children in the most unexpected ways. Make sure they are in sight, they understand the rules and that they do not step outside of their comfort zone without you. I've seen many silly accidents with children slipping whilst running, falling into streams whilst playing with a net or bumping heads whilst jumping about.

Climbing - height will always have the potential to cause injury. Its up to each parent to decide on the amount of protection we want them to wear and to set the rules for each activity. Mixed age groups often cause problems as younger ones try to keep up and older ones show off. Keep an eye on them and teach them to respect height, although this often gets self taught with their first scare or bump!

Supervision - obvious really but keeping the children in eyeshot and within the boundaries set will go a long way to preventing a lot of accidents.

Hard surfaces - with more and more homes now having hard wooden or tiled floors, we are used to dealing with hard surfaces but its always useful to bring particular attention to hard surfaces including patios, decking, pool areas and paths. Remove any obvious trip or slip hazards and make sure the kids know about any no-go areas. If you want to, you can get some really good protective foam helmets that will ensure any nasty head injuries are avoided.

Plants & insects - even in the UK there are a surprising number of things we need to be careful of in our gardens. Little ones especially will be inquisitive and see what a caterpillar tastes like or pick up some ivy. Its worth learning to identify different types of plants and insects with your child so you can ensure anything nasty is avoided. See our handy list of plants and insects to watch out for here