Imagine coming home and having your children racing to get out into the perfect garden! Let us show you how creating the perfect garden for the kids couldn’t be easier.
As parents we can struggle to balance our own lives, with the added pressure to keep a healthy balance in our children’s lives too, rest assured help is at hand. With technology so accessible it can be an easy option at the end of a long day to give in to their requests, which sees kids becoming more & more sedentary. Creating the perfect garden for the kids is important and here’s some fantastic design elements you could incorporate into your garden. Entice your children away from technology & out into the perfect garden.
A space to have fun, learn and grow.
Creating the perfect garden for the kids – Working with the garden space you have is easy.
First prioritize what is important not only for the kids but the whole family. The amount of space you have to work with will dictate how many of these garden design elements you can incorporate into the perfect garden. A small garden doesn’t mean a boring garden. For example, the inclusion of a 2M² raised garden bed for growing vegetables can be just as much fun as a 20M² plot, so don’t fall into the trap of big is better!
Open Turf Areas are important.
What do your children like doing?
Do you have a pet?
Whether it is kicking a ball, playing cricket, chasing the dog or maybe a slip and slide in the summer, an open, weed free lawn is an important element to a great kids space. Think about what other elements you want and allocate the rest of the space to turf so the kids can run & play!
Garden Paths leading into remote sections of the garden are fun!
Whether they disappear behind the garden shed or through the fruit trees in the back corner of your property, if room allows create paths that children can explore. Adding ornaments, sculpture, wall art and things to touch and smell will give your children plenty to amuse them. The addition of large rocks to climb and jump off of, as well as choosing plants that attract butterflies, insects and native animals will make your garden even more interesting with so much to explore. Screened decomposed granite provides a great cost effective solution to creating an informal path and with the addition of the right plant selection you can create the most wonderful space to play. If you have a small garden with a local parkland near by then you may want to consider removing all of your lawn and converting the space to gardens & paths. Take a look at this link for plants to avoid.
A Productive Garden is fun and there is so much to be learned.
From counting out seeds/seedlings (Math) to learning about the composition of the soil, who lives there and what part they play in keeping the soil alive (Science). Get them involved in the planning of the garden (English) then you are helping them learn valuable skills. Kids love digging for worms, planting seedlings and best of all harvesting. This knowledge, increases the chances of them being willing to try the different fruits and vegetables that you grow. Showing them how to cook the produce they have harvested teaches children different skills that will last a lifetime. Incorporating a compost bin or worm farm will get them helping out with the waste from the kitchen (one less job for you to do). Compost and worm castings are fantastic for the productive garden and will increase the size of your harvest.
Trampolines provide hours of fun and physical activity and are available in a range of sizes.
Apart from the physical benefits, they can also be used for reading and doing homework. A quiet outdoor classroom provides a wonderful space for learning and can be helpful for remembering spelling words or math sums. Jumping on a trampoline or bouncing a ball while saying the word/sum out loud has been shown to make all the difference in retaining information for some children. Give it a try!
Swings are such a lovely way to pass the time.
I’m sure we all remember the first time we were able to swing on our own and how difficult it was to learn the art of doing so. To reach such great heights that you thought you might be able to fly is a wonderful feeling and just another step in a child’s sense of achievement & feelings of independence. Whether you purchase one or design your own (so you too can swing with them), they make a great addition to the perfect garden.
Cubby Houses are always a winner with the kids and can be as extensive as your budget can afford.
With so many accessories available on the market, your cubby house or forte can provide a great creative space for real life activities and imaginative play. Involve the kids in painting their play space. Let them choose their favorite colours, designs & don’t forget how easy it is to create a blackboard with some blackboard paint from the hardware.
Sandpits provide a creative space and will guarantee hours of play.
The bigger the better, especially if you are catering for more than one child. Essentially a 3m X 3m size pit will allow 2 small children to play happily. If your garden allows, consider a huge pile of dirt for hours of fun, digging, making mud pies and creating cities with roads and houses for small cars & trucks. If you have children that love to ride bikes then creating some jumps in the garden will ensure hours of fun whilst learning great skills. Get the kids involved in the construction and watch the bike track grow!
Think outside the square and make good use of any available space.
If space is limited, play equipment can be purchased to incorporate the forte, sandpit, swings and climbing equipment all in one structure. I always suggest planting a climbing tree as a natural alternative to some monkey bars. A basketball/netball hoop can be attached to a carport/shed or concreted into the edge of a garden which sits beside the driveway. Marine ply can be painted with blackboard paint and attached to the fence, cubby house or to the side of any structure.
It’s important to get the kids involved in creating the perfect garden. What’s important to them and how does this fit your budget. Working together on the landscape design will ensure the space created is one enjoyed for many hours.
Have fun and be creative… the kids will love it!
For more information on things to consider when planning a garden from scratch, take a look at our article Where to start or take advantage of our Online Garden Consultation Service – We’ll point you in the right direction!
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