From tip-overs to swallowing ornaments, holiday trees come with a lot of dangers. Here's how to mitigate them.
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Choose A Safe Tree
Shorter trees have a lower center of gravity and are easier to secure, so aim for one that’s tall enough to be elegant, yet short enough to manage. Also try a tree species that is prickly, as that discourages toddlers from touching it, says home safety expert Melanie Musson. “I love blue spruce,” she says. “It is a lot more uncomfortable to handle than a fir. To keep them from climbing the tree, a blue spruce is the way to go.”
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Choose a Safe Location
To keep toddlers away from a Christmas tree, place it in a low-traffic area, where they are less likely to encounter it throughout the day. “If you have a separate dining room or den with a doorway, you could put up the tree in there and put up a baby gate in the doorway,” says Steelman. “Or consider having a small tree which you keep on an elevated surface that your child can’t climb.”
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Anchor It Well
A tree tipping over is a true danger. To ensure yours is secure, use fishing line and eyehooks, to attach it to a ceiling beam or wall stud. Also, a sturdy tree-stand that’s rated for your tree’s size is a must. “If your tree is too big for your stand, it could tip over even without your toddler being the instigator,” says Musson. Musson recommends Krinner stands. For extra security, weigh down stands with sandbags.
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Gate It Off
A playpen around the base is a great way to keep toddlers away from Christmas trees. It can also help keep pets at bay. “Plus, a play yard can double as a way to contain your toddlers when you’re camping or working in your garden,” says Musson. For a more festive look, Steelman recommends surrounding the tree with a barrier of heavy, book-filled boxes wrapped to look like presents.
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Try an Alternative Tree
Our family has made a tradition of decorating our ficus tree, which is always set in an untippable pot, plus has no branches near the ground. Or, if your family has a cloth teepee, consider wrapping greenery, lights and ornaments around the top of it instead of a traditional tree, says Steelman. “It’s nice and sturdy, and the children can lie on blankets and pillows underneath it to enjoy the lights,” she says.
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Manage Cords
Electrical cords are a draw to toddlers, so minimize their presence with cable clips or cord covers, and tuck them away from the ground. To minimize cords on the floor, Steelman recommends plugging an extension cord into the strip and then wrapping it up the tree trunk. “Then attach the first light string to the extension cord end at the top of the tree, and wind the lights downward,” she says.
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Practice Fire Safety
To minimize fire risk, buy a fresh-cut tree, cut two inches off the bottom and place it at least three feet away from heaters and fireplaces. Water it regularly to keep it moist, and use LED lights, which produce very little heat. Don’t overload electrical outlets or tuck cords under rugs or wrapped presents, where they can heat up and pose a fire risk. And if you get an artificial tree, make sure it’s labeled “fire-resistant.”
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Choose Ornaments Wisely
For ornaments hanging within reach of little hands, avoid anything made of glass, metal, or that is swallowable. Ornaments that pose special risks to toddlers include those with button or lithium batteries, as well as bubble lights, which many toddlers find irresistible. “The glass breaks easily, and the contents can be toxic,” says Steelman. She also recommends hanging ornaments with ribbons rather than metal hooks, and avoiding tinsel or spray snow, which can be choked on or inhaled.
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Don’t Forget Decoration Safety
Many holiday decor items can be dangerous to little ones. Toddlers can get tangled in ribbons and garlands, and of course the season’s excess of plastic shopping and shipping bags pose a suffocation risk. For plants, keep mistletoe, Jerusalem cherry, and holly up out of reach, says Steelman. “Incidentally poinsettias are not poisonous per se to humans, though they can cause some stomach upset,” she says.
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Include Kids in the Fun
Don’t exclude toddlers from the excitement. “I like to allow them access to the tree so that the tree doesn’t become the forbidden fruit that is all they can think about touching,” says Musson. “In my experience, allowing them to have some ownership in a safe way means that as the season goes on, they don’t even pay attention to the tree. With older children, Steelman also recommends resisting the urge to adjust where they place ornaments. Just move them later if they feel unsafe.
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Try a Mini Tree
If the main tree feels overwhelming, Musson suggests giving your toddler their own mini tree. “It’s funny because they usually still just decorate the bottom of the tree very heavily, but we leave it like that so they know we’re proud of their efforts.”
Steelman also suggests giving each family member one ornament a year. “You’ll collect a beautiful tree’s worth of memories over the years, and the children can take them along when they leave the nest, to start their own ornament collection,” she says.
About the Experts
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- Dr. Laura Steelman, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician at Bluebird Kids Health in Florida. She has more than 15 years of experience in both clinical and community health settings, and is passionate about empowering parents with clear, practical guidance to support their children’s well-being.
- Melanie Musson is a home safety and insurance expert with Quote.com. In addition to her knowledge of safety from an insurance perspective, she has six children, ranging from a baby to 15 years old, all of whom she has managed to keep safe from Christmas tree dangers so far.
