How To Make A Baby Safe Christmas Tree

December 3, 2018

Baby Safe Christmas Tree Ideas

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1. Put a Baby Gate Around the Tree

One way you can protect your Christmas tree from your baby or toddler is to put a baby gate/play-yard around your tree.

Yes, I know it may not be the most attractive way to display your tree. But I have found it to be the most effective way to set up a baby safe Christmas tree while still being inclusive to your little one.

Putting up a baby gate around the tree allows your little one to still be in the same room, and even to get up close for a better look. (This is the play-yard gate we have—it’s been so useful to us in so many ways!)

After all, a brightly lit Christmas tree is exciting for little ones!

Our experience baby gating our tree

When we put up our tree this year, my one year old toddler was so excited about it and danced around it.

It took him a few days before he wanted to actually touch it. When that time came around, our tree was safe with our baby gate circling the tree to keep him from getting too close.

This way, he can look and even touch the tips of a few branches, but he can’t reach far enough to actually grab the tree and pull it over. He also can’t reach far enough to get a hold of any of the decorations.

Putting the baby gate around the tree is a win-win for us.

We have a small apartment, so it doesn’t take up a lot of extra space to protect our tree this way. It keeps the tree up and our little guy safe from anything that could potentially hurt him.

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2. Put the Tree Higher

If your little one is still very small and is just crawling (not standing/walking), you may find that you can get away with putting your tree up higher.

It is much easier to make a baby safe Christmas tree when your little one isn’t very mobile yet. An easy fix, if this is your situation, is to put your tree on top of a table or heavy duty box.

Elevating the tree can get it out of your little one’s reach enough to make it safe.

If you do go this route, be sure to hide or block off any cords coming from the tree so your baby doesn’t get a hold of it. This could lead to electrocution or pulling the tree down. Not a good scenario either way!

You also want to make sure that whatever you put the tree on is stable. Boxes or tables shouldn’t be flimsy or easy to knock over. The more solid it is, the better.

This will prevent your little one from moving or shaking it, which could cause the tree to fall over.

3. Section Off the Tree with a Baby Gate

If you aren’t a fan of putting a baby gate around the tree but need more protection for it, you might consider sectioning off part of the room using a baby play-yard gate.

This is a great baby safe Christmas tree option if you have a toddler or very mobile baby, but don’t want a baby gate directly around the tree. Or, if you have an older toddler/child who won’t leave the tree alone!

Sectioning off an area of the room gives you more room around the tree for gifts or for sitting around the tree (if you’re into that).

Plus, it leaves the tree open and optimized for any Christmas tree photos or family pics you may want to take.

4. Put the Tree in a Baby Free Room

If you really can’t stand the idea of putting a gate around the tree or messing with your ideal Christmas tree look, you could always put the tree in a baby free room.

Now, hear me out.

It is okay to have baby free rooms in your house. I don’t recommend having a ton of them, but it is okay to have a few.

For example, in our house our little guy is not allowed in the kitchen. Why? Because there’s just too much for him to get into.

Keeping him out allows me to not worry about him burning his hand on the hot oven door when I’m baking or cooking. I don’t have to worry about him pinching his fingers on the cabinet doors or about him pulling this out of said cabinets.

Not allowing him in the kitchen allows me to use sharp knives to cut up meat and vegetables, without worrying about accidentally dropping one or tripping over him.

For us, it works better for us to put a baby gate at the entrance of the kitchen and have the kitchen be a baby free area.

He can still see in to the kitchen, and often hangs out just outside, playing with a toy while I make dinner.

So, if you have a baby free room to put a tree in, it’s okay to do that. It will be safe until Christmas morning, when you can let your little one up close to it with your supervision. While it may not be optimal, this is an acceptable way to set up a baby safe Christmas tree.

5. Use Shatter Proof Decorations

Another great way to make your Christmas tree baby safe is to use shatter proof decorations.

I’ll be honest. I’ve always been a big fan of glass Christmas decorations.

And it kills me a little bit that I even have to debate over whether or not to use them this year.

Even with a baby gate in place, it’s still a good idea to go with shatter proof, hard to break decorations on your tree.

Despite having a baby gate up, my little guy still managed to get his ball over the gate and knocked into the tree the other day.

Thankfully, all it did was knock some of the ribbon out of place and was easily fixable. Needless to say, the ball has made a mysterious disappearance until after Christmas….

But really, if you don’t want to keep your little one away from the tree, shatter proof decorations are the way to go. At least that way, if your little one does get a hold of the tree, he should be safe from broken decorations, and your decorations should be mostly safe from him.

So, even with other safety precautions in place, shatter proof or plastic decorations are a great way to make your Christmas tree baby safe. At least until your kids are big enough to leave the tree alone!

How are you making your Christmas tree baby safe this year?

What are your plans to make your Christmas tree baby safe this year? I’d love to hear how handle this in your house!

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