Child proofing a pond

officeguru

I had a tiny pond, which I decided to fill in as I had read about toddlers drowning in buckets, and then covered the top with pretty gravel and then placed a water feature on top... My grandchildren were safe as houses.... or so I thought.... I went to visit friends of ours who had invited most of my family and other friends for New Year.... They had a big pond and they were all standing around it chatting etc etc (It was just before lunch time and everyone was sober.. (I was in the kitchen doing the cooking) and the children were playing... My 3 year old grand-daughter fell in, even though there were 6 or 7 adults standing around .. Luckily, one of the adults saw what happened out the corner of her eye and jumped into the ice cold water and saved her... She made no noise when she fell in as, by the time they go to scream, they are under the water.... This happened about 9 years ago and, although it was a happy ending ... I still shiver about it even yet... so, I would only trust a sturdy grid or the like that has been mentioned in earlier posts... or failing that, fill it in.....

Cheers

Counting_Pennies_2

Thanks for all your answers.

One of the reasons we are buying this house is for its lovely big garden. I want my children to feel free to run about without restrictions. I also need to do things such as nip to the loo, cook supper etc, and I think it is only safe to cover it safely. It only takes my back to be turned.

I have a 7 year old and a nearly 4 year old, so it won't be too long before they are capable of being around a pond, but for the next few years I need to have peace of mind. I don't want to fill it in as I think the children will love to see nature at its best, and experience all the delights we have missed in our tiny garden.

I love the idea of the very strong wire mesh. There is a lovely surround to the pond that it could sit on top of. I will pop to the local garden centre that has extra departments to get an idea of what is available.

Becles

My parents have a pond and have looked after my lot from being babies as I work part time. They put a low wooden fence around the pond. It formed a barrier and the children learned they could look through the fence into the pond, but they were not allowed to climb on it or lean over it.

They can learn a lot from watching the pond. My daughter is 4 now and has recently watched frogs mating, spawn and tadpoles. She can explain well the process of spawn to frog, which is good for her age. She also likes watching the birds come down for drinks and baths, and looking out for various insects.

The fence also stopped my last collie from "fishing" when he went to stay for his holidays