Outdoor areas are essential in any family home, but designing a fully functional family garden isn’t always easy. Worse, most advice around this subject points towards obvious considerations, like the need for secure boundaries and play equipment.
But what if you’ve followed these guides and still feel like your family garden is lacking? Perhaps your children don’t explore outside as much as you would like, or maybe you feel like you could do more with the space. These issues are clear signs that there’s something missing from your family garden. Keep on reading to discover what that could be.
# 1 – Clear Walkways
If your kids are continually coming in muddy, or you notice that they tend to stick to one area of your garden, then it may be a sign that you need to make it easier for them to get about outside. Installing clear walkways, which could include materials like patio slabs or decorative stone, could make a big difference.
With walkways in place, you can make it easier for them to get outside. You’ll certainly be able to rest easy that they won’t return quite so muddy! More pressingly, well-laid walkways which span the entirety of even a large outdoor space can increase the exploration opportunities on offer. Far from sticking to the lawn at the front because it’s convenient, kids won’t be able to resist the maze-like trail on offer, and that could see them getting truly stuck into the outdoor adventures that have been out of reach until now.
# 2 – Wilder Areas
Speaking of enhancing the adventures on offer, creating an area of wild meadow within your outdoor space can be another fantastic option. Wildflower seeds are incredibly easy to plant, meaning that your children themselves could take responsibility here. That will get them outside more in itself, and they then just need to sit back and let their wild area grow.
As well as providing a great lesson in gardening and plant life, wild meadows like these can significantly increase the amount of wildlife that visits your family garden. Insect populations will especially increase, and your children are sure to spend more time in nature as they track these changes.
# 3 – Dedicated Paved Sections
While greenery brings undeniable educational benefits to any family garden, remember that a lot of the things children enjoy doing outside (bikes, scooters, etc.), require paved areas. As such, you can also increase outdoor usability by simply incorporating at least one paved section outside.
Seek large paving slabs for this purpose, so that your kids can happily ride their bikes up and down without mishap. Without any mud in sight, this area is guaranteed to serve their needs all year round, and could even encourage family activities like outdoor dining that simply won’t be possible if you’ve only got a lawn in place.
Family gardens can be great for education, quality time, and more. Simply make sure that your outside space isn’t missing these key elements!
