Having space for your kids to play, have fun, and even relax can be a fantastic way to use your home. Often, the best place to create this space is the garden. You can use the garden in a myriad of ways, but if you create an excellent space for your kids, you may also find that you can make better use of it yourself. Here are nine great ideas you can use to create the perfect garden for your kids:
Relax Your Expectations
Ok, so this post uses the word ‘perfect,’ but it doesn’t mean what you think it means. Your garden doesn’t need to be perfect to be used and enjoyed by your kids. Kids can enjoy the garden with their imaginations alone, so you don’t need to worry about spending a fortune and having every fantastic thing out there! Children will always flourish in a safe environment where they can be free to explore, whatever that looks like.
Make Sure Your Garden Is Safe
If your kids are going to enjoy the garden fully, you’re going to want to make sure it’s safe. A safe garden has a few essentials, and you’ll also need to make sure it doesn’t have a few things, too. For example:
- Avoid water bodies in the garden – this includes a pond, deep bucket, and even a paddling pool. If you have these things in the garden, you should always supervise them. It only takes a moment for disaster to strike. At the very least, make sure you invest in safety grids and equipment to stop accidents from happening.
- A barrier will keep the garden enclosed, give privacy, and stop young kids from straying from the property. A hedge and dense shrubs can work well.
- Toxic plants – always check your garden for irritants and toxic plants.
Consider Hiring Professionals
Sorting your garden alone can seem like a daunting task. Consider hiring professionals to help you plan and give you valuable advice. If you’d like to build a structure of some sort, make sure you have the appropriate surveys and don’t need planning permission. You may even need to look into things like a bat survey to ensure everything can go ahead as planned.
Design Child-Friendly Zones
You’re probably going to want at least a small area for yourself, so design child-friendly zones. Ideally, your child-friendly zones will be closer to the house.
Don’t Spend Too Much Money On Equipment.
Children tire of things quickly. The novelty quickly wears off, no matter how much you spend on specific items and pieces of equipment. Make sure you only spend money you’re comfortable with on equipment.
Your kids will love it at first but will either grow out of it quickly or get bored of it. It can be worth investing in things like tricycles and ball games rather than playground-style fixtures for this reason.
Include Bright Colors
Bright colors make a garden more beautiful and exciting. Plant many different plants and flowers, and don’t forget about exciting scents!
Give Them Their Own Patch
Giving your child their own patch can make them excited about gardening and teach them some valuable skills. Why not grow some herbs and veg? It will be very satisfying when you can use these ingredients in food!
Consider Older Children, Too
Consider older children, too, as they can also use the garden. A treehouse can be a magical place for kids, but you could even choose a netball post, football pitch, or something else your kids will love. Remember to place plants that withstand a bashing near these areas, as they will probably get beaten up a lot. Swimming pools and water features can be enjoyed by older kids, too.
Consider The Future
It’s probably not a good idea to do anything that could be too hard or expensive to change in the future. Kids are incredibly changeable, so make sure you can still comfortably make plans for the garden when they are older. Installing a full playground set up might seem like a beautiful idea, but they will probably get bored of it in a few years, and you will have spent a lot of time and money making it work.
Create The Perfect Garden For Your Kids
Consider how you might like to use the garden in the future, too, and see if those things can coincide. For example, a nice seating area with a fire pit can be the right place for both you and your teens and their friends.