Fireplace with gas-fired log set

We live in a rental where there is a gas log set installed in our fireplace. This includes several heavy ''logs'' which are stacked on the grate. I am trying to figure out a way to babyproof the fireplace in a way that would not further entice my very active, almost crawling seven-month-old son. Even if we remove the logs, there is still a gas unit that he might be interested in playing with. Because we rent our home, we cannot do anything too drastic. Any suggestions will be very much appreciated! Amanda P.

You probably don't have a coffee table just like ours, but another piece of furniture could be adapted for the same purpose. I have also used our porta-crib to blockade hazards, though some crawlers might try to go under--mine never did. The porta-crib is still (at 16 months) a good blockade, though bulky, and it now provides a safe haven for items such as the purses of visitors, or anything else you want to keep away from the baby.

For a younger baby, I also found it quite effective to blockade things by strategically placing some of my boxes full of books (I have more books than bookcases). For the early crawling stages, one Xerox box is enough. Two (full) Xerox boxes, stacked, are tall enough to work for quite a while (walkers as well as crawlers). Wrapping the boxes in fabric (quilts, blankets, sheets, towels, whatever you have that looks acceptable to you) keeps them stacked and prevents cardboard chewing and ingestion (and opening of boxes too). You can duct tape the boxes together too but wrapping worked well enough for me. Boxes wrapped this way are actually pretty soft for the head-bumping that new crawlers do--easier on the forehead than wooden furniture! Have fun! Lisa