Do you love the look of lights, tinsel and decorations all over the house during the festive season?

Me too; in fact, my husband has made a rule that we cannot decorate the house before December 1^st as each year it slowly gets earlier and earlier. However, with two young children in the house, often by the end of the first week, the decorations are scattered all over the floor and there is not much left on the tree, especially on the bottom half. So we’ve put together some tips on keeping up with the Christmas spirit even with toddlers in the house with our decorating for Christmas with a toddler guide:

Safety First

The most important thing when decorating with young children is to consider the various safety hazards. Lights that flicker, trains that circle around the tree and globes that fill up with snow are beautiful and festive but they also pose a safety hazard when in the wrong hands. So first and foremost, make sure you place items high enough and out of reach from curious eyes. Consider:

Cords to the lights on the tree and around the house
Heavy items, such as musical statues or ornaments
Battery operated decorations that could get wet and cause a problem
Small pieces that could break off
Decorations with buttons, glitter and other small items that look good enough to eat
Decorations made of glass

Think Soft

When you are shopping for decorations for the home, look for soft items. After all, when the Christmas box comes out any small child is going to think its play time and go through each item with attention and curiosity. So avoid pulling out the breakables and battery operated toys until after they have gone to bed and instead decorate the house with stuffed Santas, Christmas themed pillows and throws for the sofa and Christmas tins filled with shredded tissue paper for snow. Other great toddler-friendly decorations for around the house include:

Window decals and wall stickers
Stuffed animals
Plastic ornaments
Christmas tins, bowls and platters made of plastic or tin

Make Your Own

Another great way to decorate your home is with items that you and the kids make together. A toddler may not be able to get too crafty but they will be able to help (or at least make a huge mess of the cardboard paper and draw all over the floor). Check out some of our favourite Christmas crafts:

Making your own Christmas wreath
Home Made Christmas Decorations
Cardboard Christmas Tree

Go High and Low

If you are happy to have your Christmas decorations scattered across the floor every day, then you may want to place some of the Christmas items, such as the blankets and singing reindeer at eye level for your toddler. You may even choose to place the non-breakable ornaments on the bottom half of the tree so your toddler can take them off and rehang them (several times a day!) You can still display the not-so-child-friendly decorations just aim for high areas. Consider placing a baby gate around the Christmas tree to prevent your child from reaching for the decorations or choose a smaller tree and place it on top of a table first. Choose places that are high enough that a toddler cannot grab them and make sure you have hidden and taped down all extension cords and leads.