Fun and Creative Kid-Friendly Backyard Designs
Playing outside is a big part of the experience of being a kid. Observing nature, playing games, doing science experiments and engaging in sports are just a few of the ways kids can learn and have fun in the comfort of your backyard. They'll spend many hours out there throughout their childhood, and it's up to you to make sure their play area is safe as well as fun. Here are a few tips for creating fun backyard play areas for your kids that will keep them contained, shielded from the sun, and entertained for hours.
Open play areas allow for a wide range of sports, games and other play activities. These areas will get more and more use as the children grow older. Preferably, this area should be flat and grassy. Some homeowners choose to install synthetic grass in their children's play area, which has a few advantages - it's durable and maintenance-free. If you don't already have an area of lawn that's appropriate for kids to play on, mulch is an easy solution. Even if you've just got a concrete slab or bare dirt, mulch can dress it up instantly and make it a kid-friendly playing area. Move your children's larger play sets such as swing sets, slides, see-saws and picnic tables to this area - it'll make the kids feel like they have their very own playground in the backyard. In addition to having this open area, you'll need to make sure it's contained. Fences, tall hedges and walls made of brick and stone are excellent ways to contain your children's play area, keeping them out of view of the street and preventing strangers from entering.
If possible, place your children's play area in the shade. The harsh rays of the sun can not only harm their vision and cause skin damage, they'll also prematurely age toys and play sets by bleaching them and drying them out. If you don't have a shade tree in your yard or it's not close enough to the house, get a sun shade or a picnic table with a large umbrella so they'll have a place to seek refuge from the sun. When it comes to your backyard landscaping, try to avoid plants that attract wasps, yellow jackets, hornets and other stinging insects that may bother your children. Fruit trees are a major culprit; as the fruit falls and decays, stinging insects will abound.
Incorporate brightly colored, whimsical accents in your backyard decor that will allow kids to create their own little worlds of fun and imagination. Wind chimes, gazing balls, statuary, hanging lanterns or crystals, and bird houses are some ways to infuse a little 'magic' into your outdoor space. Little girls particularly love anything evocative of fairies, such as miniature furniture, winged statues and ribbons trailing from tree branches.
A water feature is a great way to keep kids cool in hot weather. Garden sculpture sprinklers such as the Sun Ray, shown left, are a creative source for hours of outdoor fun. They can be connected to any standard garden hose. Once the water starts flowing through the sculpture, it twirls around, bathing the surrounding area with streams of water. Kids love to play in it, and it'll water your lawn at the same time. If you don't want to kids getting wet but would love for them to have a place in the yard to observe nature, a birdbath fountain is an excellent choice. Solar birdbath fountains such as the Portsmouth, pictured top, attract birds, butterflies, squirrels and other creatures that kids love to watch. Place a bird feeder nearby to attract even more wildlife.
For more water-related backyard fun, see our previous article, 'Children at Play! Fun Fountain Ideas for Your Child's Play Area'.
