We spend so much time grooming our gardens to try and make them worthy of the Chelsea Flower Show, that we sometimes forget they are there to be enjoyed by our children. Do you find yourself complaining at the footprints in borders or the thinning out of the lawn in random places? Sometimes it is better to accept and even embrace the inevitable, Once your children start to toddle around, your garden will change. So just go with the flow. Make your garden as child friendly as you can, and give the little angels years of entertainment come rain or shine. What can we do to make our gardens more inviting and attractive enough to entice our children away from the television? Here we will give a few ideas that will turn your garden into a playground for your children.
Nature
Getting your children interested in nature is a fantastic, and filthy cheap way of keeping them occupied for hours at a time.
Try a simple log pile in the far corner of the garden. The logs will slowly begin to decompose, and the friendly little creepy crawlies will find homes there. Buy the kids magnifying glasses and send them to the log pile on their own safari.
How about a simple wildlife pond?
-
Bury a washing up bowl so that the top is level with the ground
-
Fill it with water.
-
Pop to your local aquatic centre and buy some oxygenating plants. Some simply float in the water so there is no need to plant them in soil.
Den
If your budget stretches to it, a summerhouse or child’s playhouse is guaranteed to light up your child’s face. Available from Shedstore and many other fine shops on the internet, you will be spoiled for choice.
Paddling Pool
Paddling pools are available in shops up and down the high street these days for under twenty pounds. If they only last one summer, they are still great value for money. Kids love playing in the water.
Slide
A must have for every child friendly garden. Available in plastic or metal, every child should have one. It will, of course, be aimed at the paddling pool for a wet dismount.
Swing
Another staple in the garden playground. The good old swing is available as fold away equipment or can be constructed from pressure treated timber as a permanent fixture in your home.
Climbing Frame
There are some truly magnificent wooden climbing frames on offer these days. They may work out a little on the expensive side but are definitely worth it. Combining rope bridges, poles for sliding down, and even swings and slides, designers, have come up with some incredible products.
All of this equipment will give your children active and imaginative play as they grow. However, your lawn may suffer, as a result. It’s a simple thing though, to sprinkle some grass seed over the bald patches every spring.
Soon enough your children will have grown and flown the nest. Now its time to get down to some serious planning. Gold medals await you for your stunning display of flora.
But doesn’t your garden now feel a little empty and a little too quiet?
Never mind, leave all that equipment where it is, grandchildren are on the way!
Speak Your Mind