Fireplace - how can i baby proof this

[Gigi00]

I have an in wall fireplace, that is not used. I need to keep my DS out of there -he is trying to take the decorative coal out of it.

I stuck some cardboard with sellotape over it but it didn't hold and DS ripped it off. Any ideas on how to cover it with something more robust?

See photo

Er, kindly, maybe if the photo showed the actual fireplace it would help.

Fire guard? One which can screw into the wall?

Would help if we could see the fireplace

https://www.safetots.co.uk/fire-guards.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoKeuBhCoARIsAB4WxtdX0-IOYuN2RR-4ZNS37eM5tFTuFZqx92uInfN6bQnKJE71rzgXB6YaAgCaEALw_wcB

Been there. Any interaction with fire place you say no and redirect into playing with something else. They soon realise it’s boring and leave it alone. By taping stuff over it you’re just reinforcing that it’s something exciting and you’re actually adding a whole new level of fun to the game. Same for a barrier that could potentially be climbed. Could you also bag up and remove the coal? I did that when DS was about 18MO and reintroduced it when he was about 2.5, not even sure he noticed as he long ago realised the fireplace isn’t interesting.

take the decorative coal out yourself and put it away.

DS will grow out of this v soon.

Can't really see the fireplace from the photo but we've covered over our fireplaces in the living room and kitchen with large very thick cardboard and made activity features with them.
The kitchen one has an Ikea toddler kitchen in front of it so DS plays with that and with the living room one we've stuck green felt to it and got some stick on farm shapes from Amazon so he can build his own farm. When he gets a bit older we'll change one of them for some drawing paper and make an easel out of it.

Sorry about the bad picture all 🤣 i shall take a closer one!

@24HoursFromTulseHill how did you stick the cardboard onto the wall?

I had exactly this. I removed the coals - they seemed to be the big attraction, that didn't work, I boarded it over. It looked shit and we had to make the wall good afterwards, but it was worth it. I ended up ripping it all.out in the end anyway as the hearth was a disaster waiting to happen and I wouldn't have lit the fire with young dc in the house anyway. Not my dc anyway!

@Gigi00 our fireplaces are in a big recessed spaces under the mantlepiece so the cardboard is just wedged in at the front. They pop out if you stick a knife in the gap and give it a wiggle but so far they've been baby and toddler proof.

WE USED TO HAVE AN OLD-FASHIONED NURSERY FIREGUARD WHICH WAS SCREWED INTO THE WALL ON EACH SIDE.