Gardens are a huge bonus if you have kids. Living in an apartment might be cool before kids come along but it’s not much fun when you have toddlers. Children need room to play and burn off energy, and if you have to venture out to a public space each time they feel like kicking a ball around, it will soon get annoying.
With a garden, you can let them play without fear of them getting lost or coming to any harm. It’s a lot more relaxing, especially on a hot summer’s day. But just because you have a garden, doesn’t make it suitable for children. Read on to learn how to create a garden that’s perfect for your family.
PRIORITIZE the Lawn
For many kids, the best thing about having a garden is that they have a safe area where they can kick a ball around and run about freely. It’s also a great area to play with larger ride-on toys, swings, slides, and paddling pools in the summer. For this reason, it’s a good idea to put your dreams of a carefully manicured garden to bed for a while and prioritize the lawn. This is where most kids prefer to hang out.
A traditional turfed lawn is great, but it requires significant maintenance, especially in the warmer months when the grass can easily grow several centimeters per week. If you don’t have a lot of time to spend cutting the lawn, consider laying fake turf instead. Modern artificial grass looks natural and is long-lasting. It’s also very hard wearing if your children like to tear up the lawn for hours at a time. For a perfect fake turf lawn, have a landscaping Solihull company lay it for you.
Buy a Playhouse
As your children grow, they are likely to accumulate a growing collection of outdoor toys, bikes, and sports equipment. Since you won’t want any of this in the house, a summer house serves two purposes. One, you have somewhere to store all this stuff, and two, it’s a great place for kids to play if they want their own private space if they don’t feel like being indoors.
Decorate their playhouse so it looks super cute. Paint it in pastel colours or whatever colours they like. Hang solar string lights so it is pretty in the evening and furnish it with plastic chairs, a table, and storage for toys.
Encourage a Love of Biology
Set aside a small area where your kids can grow simple flowers and vegetables. Most kids love to dig in the garden and they’ll be thrilled with some small garden tools, a bucket, and easy-to-grow seeds like sunflowers and salad greens. This kind of project is both educational and fun. Not only can they see how things are grown but if you choose veggies, they also get to eat the produce!
Finally, make sure your garden is safe at all times. Avoid planting anything potentially harmful, like hydrangea, foxgloves, and bluebells. In addition, keep all tools and toxic garden chemicals safely locked away in a shed.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.
