Free Printable Babyproofing Checklist (Room by Room)

This is a complete room-by-room babyproofing checklist. It is free, there is nothing to sign up for, and you can print it. Work through it once before your baby becomes mobile — around five to six months — and again when they start climbing.

Last updated: 1 August 2026 · Free to use, print and share. Teachers, health visitors, NCT groups and hospitals are welcome to print and distribute this.

Start here: the five hazards most people miss

If you do nothing else on this page, do these five. They account for a disproportionate share of serious injuries.

  1. Anchor every tall or heavy piece of furniture. Dressers, bookcases and TVs cause deaths every year. Anti-tip straps cost very little and take minutes. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission runs a dedicated campaign on this for a reason.
  2. Cut or secure every blind and curtain cord. Looped cords are a strangulation risk. Cordless blinds are the safest fix.
  3. Account for every button battery. A swallowed lithium coin cell can cause severe internal burns in as little as two hours. They are in remotes, car keys, scales, greeting cards, thermometers and light-up toys. If you suspect ingestion, this is an emergency — do not wait for symptoms.
  4. Empty standing water immediately. A young child can drown in very little water. Buckets, bath tubs, paddling pools and toilets all count.
  5. Move handbags and visitors' bags out of reach. Medication, vapes and coins arrive in your house on other people.

Living room

  • Anchor bookcases, media units and TVs to the wall
  • Fit corner guards on low glass or sharp-edged tables
  • Cover unused electrical outlets
  • Secure or conceal trailing cables and extension leads
  • Secure blind and curtain cords out of reach
  • Move remotes and anything containing a button battery
  • Remove tablecloths and runners that can be pulled
  • Check houseplants against a toxic plant list
  • Fit a fireguard, and secure the fire surround
  • Move candles, diffusers and matches
  • Check under sofa cushions for coins and small objects

Kitchen

  • Fit latches on cupboards containing cleaning products, knives or bags
  • Move all cleaning chemicals to a high locked cupboard — under the sink is the single most common mistake
  • Use rear hobs where possible and turn pan handles inward
  • Fit a hob guard if your cooker allows
  • Fit an oven door lock, and be aware the door itself gets hot
  • Secure the dishwasher — detergent tablets are highly caustic
  • Move the bin, or fit one with a locking lid
  • Keep hot drinks well away from edges; a hot drink can scald up to 20 minutes after being made
  • Secure the fridge if your child can open it
  • Remove fridge magnets small enough to swallow
  • Check for trailing kettle and toaster cables

Stairs and hallway

  • Fit a hardware-mounted gate at the top of the stairs — pressure-mounted gates are not suitable at the top
  • Fit a gate at the bottom of the stairs
  • Check banister gaps. US building guidance uses a 4-inch (10cm) sphere test; UK guidance is stricter at 6.5cm. If a gap passes a soft drink can, fit a guard.
  • Make sure nothing climbable sits beside the banister
  • Secure or remove loose rugs at the foot of the stairs
  • Check the front door is not openable from inside
  • Move shoes, keys and bags off the floor

Bathroom

  • Set the water heater to a maximum of 49°C / 120°F
  • Fit a toilet lid lock
  • Never leave standing water in the bath, and never leave a child unattended in the bath, even briefly
  • Move all medication to a high locked cabinet, including anything in a handbag
  • Move razors, nail scissors and cotton buds
  • Fit a non-slip bath mat
  • Secure cleaning products and toilet blocks
  • Unplug and store hairdryers and straighteners — straighteners stay dangerously hot long after use

Nursery and bedrooms

  • Cot away from windows, blinds, cords and radiators
  • Nothing in the cot: no pillows, bumpers, loose blankets or soft toys
  • Cot mattress firm and correctly fitted, with no gaps at the edges
  • Lower the cot base as soon as your baby can sit or pull up
  • Anchor the changing table and never step away from it
  • Anchor the dresser and wardrobe
  • Fit window restrictors on all upstairs windows
  • Check the video monitor cord is well out of reach of the cot
  • Cover outlets behind furniture

Laundry, garage and outdoors

  • Lock detergent pods away — they are a leading cause of poisoning in under-fives
  • Keep washer and dryer doors closed
  • Secure tools, paint, antifreeze and garden chemicals
  • Fit a lock or alarm on any gate to a pool, pond or hot tub
  • Empty paddling pools and buckets straight after use
  • Check garden plants against a toxic plant list
  • Secure the BBQ and store lighter fluid out of reach

Whole-house checks

  • Working smoke alarms on every floor, tested monthly
  • A carbon monoxide alarm near sleeping areas
  • Emergency numbers visible, not only stored in a phone
  • A stocked first aid kit
  • At least one adult in the household trained in paediatric CPR and choking response — see gagging vs choking for the difference that matters most
  • Do the crawl test: get down on hands and knees in every room and look at what is reachable from that height

Rough timeline

Stage Typical age Focus
Before crawling 5–6 months Anchor furniture, secure cords, fit gates
Crawling 6–10 months Floor-level sweep, outlets, low cupboards
Pulling up and cruising 9–12 months Table edges, tablecloths, unstable furniture
Walking and climbing 12–24 months Windows, door locks, higher storage, garden

Emergency numbers

In the US: emergency services 911. Poison Control 1-800-222-1222. Button battery ingestion: the National Battery Ingestion Hotline is 1-800-498-8666. Save these in your phone now, before you need them. In the UK: 999, or 111 for non-emergency advice.

Want the fuller version?

This checklist is free and always will be. If you want the expanded guide with the reasoning behind each item, product-type guidance and a printable per-room audit sheet, that is our Babyproofing Guide. You can also browse all parenting guides.

Also free: our printable wake windows chart and first foods and allergen tracker.

Sources

This checklist is general safety information and is not a substitute for professional advice or paediatric first aid training. No checklist replaces supervision.

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