Baby Proofing Checklist

What this baby proofing checklist covers

This baby proofing checklist (also known as a babyproofing checklist or childproofing checklist) focuses on the most common home hazards for babies and toddlers. It is organized room by room so you can work through your home without missing steps or relying on memory.

You will find:

• A priority section for the biggest risks: falls, choking, poisoning, burns, strangulation, drowning.
• Room-by-room checks for typical areas: stairs, living spaces, kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, laundry, office, storage, and outdoor spaces.
• A shopping list of commonly used safety items so you can buy only what you actually need.

Expert-backed safety guidance (credibility)

This guide and checklist align with the same core recommendations repeatedly emphasized by pediatric safety guidance and public safety agencies:

• Stairs and falls: use properly installed safety gates at stairs, and avoid older accordion-style designs that can entrap a child.
• Tip-overs: anchor tall furniture and TVs to reduce tip-over risk when children pull up or climb.
• Poisoning prevention: store medicines and household chemicals up, away, and locked - do not rely on child-resistant packaging alone.
• Choking and ingestion: do frequent floor-level scans for small objects, with extra attention to button batteries and magnets.
• Water safety: drowning prevention starts with close, constant supervision any time a child has access to water (including bathtubs).

Baby Proofing Guide (how to baby proof a home)

If you searched for a baby proofing guide (not just a checklist), use this section to understand what matters most and what to buy first. Then use the checklist below to execute room by room.

Step 1: Do a 10-minute hazard scan

Before you buy anything, do a quick scan so you only purchase what your home actually needs.

• Get to child height (knees/crawl level) and look for what can be reached, pulled, opened, swallowed, or climbed.
• Identify your top 3-5 hotspots (usually stairs, kitchen, bathroom, and living room).
• Look for "hidden" hazards: button batteries, magnets, cords behind furniture, unstable lamps, and small items under sofas.

Step 2: Fix the highest-risk hazards first

These are the issues most likely to cause serious injury. Prioritize them before your child becomes mobile.

• Falls: control access to stairs and limit dangerous openings (stairs, landings, balconies, windows).
• Tip-overs: anchor tall furniture and secure TVs/monitors so nothing can topple if climbed or pulled.
• Poisoning: lock up medicines, cleaners, laundry products, chemicals, and anything you would not want in a mouth.
• Choking and ingestion: remove small objects and store button batteries and magnets as if they are medical hazards.
• Cords and loops (strangulation): keep blind cords, charger cables, and monitor cords out of reach and out of loops.
• Burns and scalds: prevent access to hot surfaces and reduce scald risk from hot water and hot drinks.
• Water hazards: treat any access to water as a hazard and supervise closely (including in bathtubs).

Step 3: What to buy (and what to skip)

Most homes need only a small set of essentials. Choose fewer, better items.

• Gates: use hardware-mounted gates where a fall would be severe (especially stair tops). Use pressure-mounted gates only where a fall is not a risk.
• Anchors/anti-tip straps: anchor tall furniture into studs/solid backing. If you cannot anchor safely, rearrange so climbing access is removed.
• Cabinet/drawer locks: focus on the cabinets that store hazards first (cleaners, pods, medicines, knives, tools). Standardize one lock style to reduce friction.
• Outlet safety: prefer built-in/sliding style protection over loose plug caps (caps often end up as choking hazards).
• Cord management: use cleats/clips/covers to remove slack and eliminate reachable loops.

Skip or delay anything that does not reduce a real hazard in your layout. Rearranging furniture often solves problems faster than buying gadgets.

Step 4: Install, then "stress test" your babyproofing

Installation quality matters more than the product itself.

• Tug, shake, and pull on gates, anchors, and locks as if a determined toddler is testing them.
• Confirm there are no climb assists (chairs, storage bins, toy boxes) placed near windows, railings, counters, or TVs.
• Make sure "safe storage" is actually safe: high + locked beats high-only.

Step 5: Baby proof in phases (milestones)

Baby proofing is not one-time work. Re-check when your child develops new skills.

• Pre-crawl: do the high-risk fixes (stairs control, tip-overs, poisons, cords, choking hazards).
• Crawling/cruising: expand to lower cabinets/drawers, sharp edges, cords, and anything reachable from a pull-to-stand position.
• Climbing/toddler: upgrade areas that are repeatedly tested (stronger latches, window controls, door controls, furniture re-scan).

Step 6: Keep it safe over time

• Do a quick home scan every few months, and after any furniture move, new purchase, or room change.
• If your child repeatedly opens, pulls, or climbs something, treat it as a signal to upgrade that area.

How this checklist is structured

• Do first (high risk - 30 minutes): fast actions that reduce major risk immediately.
• Room sections: repeatable checks per room, so you apply the same safety standard everywhere.
• Shopping list: items referenced throughout the checklist, grouped in one place for easy purchasing.

Duplicates across rooms are intentional. A room-by-room baby proofing checklist works best when you can complete one space fully, without mentally tracking hazards that might also exist elsewhere.

Shopping list: how to work with it

The Shopping list collects the most common babyproofing items used across the checklist (gates, locks, anchors, cord management, and more).

• Treat it as your buy list, not a required-to-buy list.
• Customize it: remove anything that does not apply, and keep only what you actually need for your home.
• Save the checklist to your account if you want to sync to mobile, share with a partner, or track progress over time.

When to start and when to re-check

Baby proofing is not one-and-done. Re-check when:

• Your child starts rolling, crawling, pulling up, cruising, or climbing.
• You move furniture, bring in new items, or rearrange a room.
• A child repeatedly pulls, opens, or climbs something (that is a signal to upgrade that area).

A good rule: re-scan the house every few months, and after any major change.

High-impact safety principles (quick mental model)

If you only remember a few rules, use these:

• Prevent falls first: stairs, windows, railings, climbable furniture.
• Stop tip-overs: anchor tall furniture and secure TVs.
• Lock up poisons: medicines, cleaners, pods, alcohol, chemicals.
• Remove choking hazards: small parts, coins, magnets, and especially button batteries.
• Control cords and loops: blinds, chargers, monitor cables, appliance cords.
• Treat water like a hazard: never assume "a little water" is safe.

Printable and downloads

If you want a printable baby proofing checklist or a baby proofing checklist PDF, use the download/print options on this page. Many people like to print one copy for the first pass, then keep the saved version for ongoing re-checks.

Sources

• American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) - Home Safety: Tips for Families With Young Children↗
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission - Childproofing Your Home↗
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission - AnchorIt.gov (furniture and TV tip-over prevention)↗
• CDC - Preventing Drowning↗
• Poison Help (HRSA) - Up and Away and Out of Sight medicine safety campaign↗

Last reviewed on: 02/02/2026

This baby proofing checklist is for parents and caregivers who want a practical, room-by-room way to childproof a home without missing common hazards.

It is especially useful if:

• You are preparing for a baby who will soon roll, crawl, pull up, or climb
• You want a clear, repeatable childproofing checklist you can follow room by room
• You need to coordinate babyproofing with a partner, babysitter, or family member
• You want a checklist you can save, customize, and re-check as your child develops

Use this checklist for houses or apartments, and adjust items based on your layout, furniture, and your child’s age and abilities.

1. Start with Do first to remove the highest-risk hazards.
2. Use the Table of Contents to jump to the room you are in right now.
3. In each room, complete the tasks in order. When you open a task, use the notes:
   • Why: the risk this reduces
   • Check: the safe end state (what "done" looks like)
   • Tip: the easiest way to do it right
   • Avoid: the common mistake
4. If you realize you need equipment, flag it mentally and add it to your run using the Shopping list section.
5. Do a second walkthrough after you finish (you will catch surprises).

Tip: do a quick walkthrough at child height (knees or flashlight) and look for what a crawling child can reach, pull, open, or climb.