Your garden can be a tranquil place to escape from the busy outside world and connect with nature. But when you have a growing family, it’s not just about you anymore! According to the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, experts are increasingly recognizing the importance of outdoor play for children’s healthy development. Your garden should be a place where kids can safely engage in outdoor play, but also where mom and dad can relax.
Achieving Balance
The key to a family-friendly garden is balance. But that is easier said than done. How do you balance the needs and interests of all the members of your family? One way to do that is to literally divide your garden into zones. You could have a kiddy play area complete with a sandpit, a lawn where older kids can play sports, and a tranquil space where adults can relax. The most important thing is to design your garden with the whole family in mind. Does dad love to barbecue? Is your daughter obsessed with rocks? Does your son love trampolining? Finding ways to touch on everyone’s interests is the key to a happy family garden!
At the same time, shared spaces and projects are also important to encourage family time. For example, you might want to start a veggie garden as a project the kids can help with. Also, if your kids see the adults seating area, they may want their own garden table and chairs for tea parties! There are so many great ideas out there for magical outdoor furniture for kids. You can easily buy mini chairs and tables or make your own. Fab Art DIY has a wealth of inspirational DIY pallet furniture ideas for kids, from chairs to swings to magical playhouses.
A Child-Friendly Garden
When you have young children, it is essential to keep safety in mind when designing your garden. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have that water feature you want! You can incorporate the idea of zoning that we already mentioned to create kid-friendly and out-of-bounds zones. The space closest to the house should be the safe zone as it’s where you can see kids clearly, and areas with hazards should be further out and fenced off.
While you may be tempted to get your kids a giant jungle gym with a swing set, a simpler approach may be better for getting kids into outdoor play. A path made of stones, or the cross-sections of logs can create a sense of adventure throughout the garden. Simple additions like rope swings, paddle pools, and areas where mucking around are allowed can provide all the outdoor entertainment kids need. It is also important to remember that children grow up fast! Rather than making a garden focused entirely on toddlers, design one that can suit your family as it grows.
