Lauren HollandBy Lauren Holland

Toddlers explore with their hands and mouths, climb anything they can reach and move faster than adults expect. Each room has its own set of hazards: hot liquids in the kitchen, water in the bathroom, furniture that can tip in the bedroom, cords and batteries in the living room, falls on the stairs and chemicals in the garage. This guide walks through each room and lists the steps recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Safe Kids Worldwide and Poison Control. It is general safety information for children roughly 1 to 3 years old; it does not replace supervision or advice from your pediatrician.

Important: no product or checklist makes a home completely safe. Childproofing reduces risk; active supervision is still essential. In an emergency in the U.S., call 911. For a possible poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If a button battery may have been swallowed, call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 1-800-498-8666 or Poison Control immediately and do not wait for symptoms.

Start at your child’s eye level

Before buying anything, walk through each room and look for what a toddler can reach, open, pull or climb. Check floors for small objects; the AAP warns that small objects can be choking hazards or harmful if swallowed and advises checking floors regularly. Then work through the rooms below.

Kitchen

  • Hot liquids and food: the AAP advises not carrying a child while holding hot drinks or soup, keeping children away from hot liquids on stoves and counters, and never leaving food cooking unattended.
  • Cleaning products and medicines: store them locked, out of sight and reach, in their original packaging (AAP). Install safety latches that lock automatically when cabinets close (AAP).
  • Range tip-over: CPSC advises installing free-standing ranges with anti-tip brackets.
  • Small objects: fridge magnets and small items are choking hazards (AAP).
  • Dishwasher pods and detergents: keep them locked and out of reach; Poison Control advises storing laundry and dishwasher products out of sight and reach in original containers.

See kitchen safety.

Bathroom

  • Water: the AAP warns young children can drown in as little as an inch or two of water, quickly and silently. Stay within arm’s reach at bath time, never leave a young child alone in the tub (even briefly) and do not rely on an older sibling to supervise.
  • Hot water: the AAP recommends setting the water heater so the hottest water at the faucet is no more than 120°F; CPSC also notes anti-scald devices for faucets and shower heads.
  • Medicines and toiletries: lock them away; CPSC advises keeping medicines locked even in child-resistant packaging.
  • Buckets and containers: empty them after use; the AAP advises never leaving a filled, open-top water container unattended.

See bathroom safety.

Bedroom

  • Furniture tip-overs: CPSC’s Anchor It campaign says anchoring furniture with drawers, doors and shelves to the wall prevents tip-over injuries and deaths. Anchor dressers, bookcases and TVs and test the straps.
  • Windows: CPSC advises window stops so windows open no more than 4 inches, or window guards (that adults can open in a fire), opening windows from the top, keeping furniture away from windows and never depending on screens.
  • Window cords: CPSC recommends cordless window coverings in homes with young children to reduce strangulation risk.
  • Toys: keep toys with small parts and button batteries away from toddlers.

See bedroom safety.

Living room

  • TVs and furniture: anchor them (Safe Kids, CPSC).
  • Button batteries: Poison Control advises securing battery compartments on remote controls, key fobs, flameless candles and other devices, and keeping spare batteries out of reach.
  • Outlets: CPSC advises outlet covers large enough not to be a choking hazard and hard to remove, and tamper-resistant receptacles when replacing outlets.
  • Fireplaces and heaters: the AAP advises screening fireplaces, woodstoves and heaters, and notes that glass-door gas fireplaces stay dangerously hot after being turned off.
  • Edges: CPSC advises corner and edge bumpers that stay securely on furniture and hearths.

See living room safety.

Stairs

  • Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs (Safe Kids).
  • At the top of stairs, CPSC advises using only gates that attach to the wall with screws; pressure gates can be pushed loose.
  • Never use pet gates as child safety gates, and replace older accordion gates with “V” openings that can trap a child’s head or neck (CPSC).
  • Keep stairs clear of toys and clutter.

See stairway safety.

Garage and storage areas

  • Lock away car products, garden chemicals, paints and tools. Poison Control calls rust remover the most dangerous laundry product, because a few contain hydrofluoric acid, which can be absorbed through the skin.
  • Keep products in original containers; never decant chemicals into drink bottles.
  • Anchor shelving and store heavy items low.
  • Keep toddlers away from vehicles and garage doors in operation.

See garage and storage safety.

Whole-home basics

  • Smoke alarms on every level, inside each bedroom and outside sleeping areas, tested monthly (CPSC).
  • Carbon monoxide alarms outside bedrooms near each sleeping area (CPSC); Poison Control advises a CO alarm in every sleeping area.
  • Emergency numbers saved in every carer’s phone, including Poison Control.
  • CPR and first aid: the AAP recommends a certified CPR and first-aid course for parents and caregivers.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start childproofing?

Before your child starts crawling and pulling up, and again as they start climbing and opening things. Repeat the eye-level walk-through every few months as your child grows.

Do I need every product on the market?

No. Focus on the hazards in your home: anchoring furniture, gates for stairs, locked storage for medicines and chemicals, window stops, water heater temperature and supervision around water. Our childproofing products guide explains each product.

Specific injury types are covered in preventing common toddler injuries, and printable checks in our toddler home safety checklist. All room guides are under Room-by-Room Safety.

Sources

Lauren Holland

About Lauren Holland

Lauren Holland is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our childproofing guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.