7 Ways to Keep Babies and Toddlers Out of Christmas Trees

Young kids love the bright lights and shiny ornaments on Christmas trees as much as we do. Unfortunately, they don’t want to appreciate these by gazing at them like we do—they want to touch and perhaps even taste them! This is first and foremost a safety issue, but it’s also a frustration for parents who want to decorate for Christmas.

Thankfully, it is possible to keep young kids out of Christmas trees. In today’s post, I’m going to share what works in my house and then I’ll share some strategies I’ve seen work for other families.

How we keep our kids away from the tree

I set up the tree when my kids are sleeping. I do this because I’ve found it is more difficult for my kids to keep their hands off of things when they see me touching them. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have to learn that there are certain things mommy can touch that they can’t (for example, matches or sharp knives), but the tree isn’t up all year long, so it’s simple to classify it as an object that no one touches.

When they first enter the living room and see the tree, I take them over to within about 2 feet of it and we admire how beautiful and shiny it is. I explain that we can enjoy looking at it all that we want, but that we don’t touch it. I demonstrate this for the younger ones. I reach out my hand towards the tree but I stop before actually touching it and say “no”. I then help them do the same motion and say “no.”

For the first few days the tree is up, we take time to sit and admire it each day. I also repeat the demonstration of not touching the tree. I know it seems too simple to be effective, but this actually works with my kids! They stay out of the tree. I think the key is that no one touches it. Mommy and daddy don’t even touch it, so they know it is off limits.

I’m uncertain if this strategy will work indefinitely, but it has worked for us during the last several Christmases. I began using it when we had one child who was 14 months old. We now have a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 3-month-old. Obviously my 4-year-old has more understanding and better developed motor skills than the younger two, so I actually let her help me put ornaments on the tree this year. Once it was decorated, though, I made it clear that we weren’t going to touch it again until it is time to take it down.

I’m a firm believer that different things work for different families, so I realize this approach may not work for your family. I’ve seen families use several other approaches, so you can also consider the following ideas.

Additional ways to keep kids away from the tree

Skip the tree and decorate other areas of the house

I know a couple of families who decided it was best to skip putting up trees while they had young kids. These families still decorated in other ways, but they focused on decorations that were out of the reach of exploring fingers (wreaths on doors, stockings hung from mantels, figurines set up on high shelves, etc.).

Put up a segmented baby gate or play yard

An option I’ve seen many families use is a segmented baby gate. They surround their trees with these gates so that the kids can’t reach the trees. You may have one of these in your home already or you can easily get one from an online retailer or local store. Examples include the Toddleroo 6 Panel Free Standing Play Yard, the Regalo Super Wide Adjustable Baby Gate and Play Yard, the COMOMY Baby Gate Extra Wide, and the Regalo Plastic Super Wide Adjustable Baby Gate and Play Yard. You can even use bows and garlands to decorate the gates so they look festive!

Create a gift fence

Christi, who blogs at Love from the Oven, uses large boxes wrapped in festive paper to create a barrier to keep her kids away from the tree. This DIY option is more affordable than a baby gate, but it functions similarly.

Put the tree on a table

I know a couple of families who chose to put their trees up on elevated surfaces. One used their formal dining table and one used a small folding table. Both of these kept their trees high enough in the air that their kids couldn’t reach them.

Use kid-friendly ornaments and let ‘em at it

I know one family who has adjusted how they decorate their tree in order to make it safe for kids to explore and redecorate. They use ribbon instead of ornament hooks and use only plush or shatter-proof ornaments. Instead of keeping their kids out of the tree, they let them play with it all they want! If you choose this option, be sure the tree is anchored securely so it will not tip over onto your kids.

Give them an alternative

Sometimes the best way to keep kids’ hands off of something is to keep them busy with something else. Over the last few years, felt Christmas trees have become a popular way to occupy kids’ hands during the Christmas season. These come in both freestanding and hanging varieties (we have one of the latter and my kids love it!). Felt trees, along with other Christmas tree activities such as the Step2 My First Christmas Tree and the Wooden Christmas Tree Stack Toy, can keep kids occupied for hours!

Final thoughts

These are some great ideas! Hopefully one will work for you. There are a lot of ways young kids can get hurt around trees (trees can topple over, ornament hooks can cut kids open, small ornaments pose a choking hazard, etc.), so whatever you do, keep safety in mind.

Do you have a tip to share? How do you keep your kids out of the Christmas tree?