As Dad to twins, I know just how important is to have a secure back garden that offers lots of opportunities to learn through play. In this blog, I’m going to share my tips on building a back garden for children.
I don’t know about your children, but mine seem to have a self-destruct mode. Their curiosity knows no bounds and they have no fear of tripping, falling, stranger-danger, water or electricals. So my first tip is to ensure that your garden has the minimal number of hazards.
Your boundary fence needs to be escape-proof. That means ensuring that gates can only be unlocked by adults. Not only should it be impossible for the youngsters to wander off, you need to be confident that uninvited guests can’t get in to your garden.
Lock away tools and chemicals. You can’t beat a sturdy garden shed with a strong padlock for keeping ladders, hosepipes, bladed tools and garden chemicals well out of the way of inquisitive people. And when you’ve finished working with tools, put them away straight away - even before you put the kettle on for a brew. Believe me, kids move with lightening speed to investigate ANYTHING they shouldn’t have.
If you have a water feature in your garden, either fence it off or install a metal grid to reduce the risk of drowning.
Lighting needs to be wired in and regularly checked by a qualified electrician. Make sure that little fingers can’t access any components that could potentially harm them.
Patios, paths and steps should be in good order. Young legs travelling at speed are easily tripped up by loose or crumbling slabs. And whilst it’s great that little ones should develop the strength and co-ordination to climb garden steps, it’s super handy if they have something to hold on to until they get the hang of it.
I advise all of my clients, no matter what generation they are, to futureproof their gardens. That of course, means investing in good quality workmanship so that the hard landscaping lasts a very long time. It also means building features that will still be useful in 2, 5, 10 or even 20 years time.
Your shed/summerhouse, for example, could be repurposed to become a teenagers’ retreat complete with gaming station. A sandpit could transition into a water feature or a raised bed. Once they’ve outgrown the trampoline, the space it occupies could become a seating area or be filled with beautiful plants.
Human brains don’t arrive perfectly programmed, they need to be trained to co-ordinate movement. And, like so many other things in life, practice makes perfect. So sending your child to play outside on a perfectly smooth, level surface, may feel like a good way to keep them safe. But in actual fact, they NEED to climb on things, crawl under things, touch things, taste things and generally use all five senses in order to develop co-ordination and confidence.
Whilst it’s not a good idea to have uneven slabs or unexpected trip hazards, changes in levels, varying textures and adventurous play are really important.
Use a tasteful mixture of surface materials in your garden. Paving, grass, gravel, decking are just a few suggestions. Make sure there’s plenty of room to grow plants - but be 100% that what you plant is non-toxic.
Incorporate some simple obstacles into the design….steps, a structure for climbing on, perhaps even a slope or two.
Don’t forget space to run and jump. You can’t beat a natural grass lawn for active play.
A back garden for children must also be a great space for adults to enjoy. So make sure you think about yourself when designing your garden.
A comfy seating area is a must. Add shelter and lighting so that it becomes somewhere to escape to when the children have finally gone down for a nap.
For play dates a generously sized patio with stylish furniture allows the grown ups to relax while the children get active. If you have the budget, consider an outdoor kitchen with an easy to access drinks fridge and/or a coffee machine.
A natural lawn makes a great space for outdoor yoga practice. Perhaps the children could join in with you?
Dining furniture doubles as a craft area for adults and children alike. Choose porcelain paving rather than natural stone if you plan to use paints. Porcelain is non-absorbent and less likely to stain.
Finally, plants. Planting doesn’t need to be high maintenance but it really does create a welcoming and relaxing ambience. If you have footballers in the family, raised beds will help protect your plants from any shots that happen to go a bit wide.
Need help to build a back garden for children? Call me to arrange a no-obligation consultation and quote and lets start to make life better for the whole family.