8 Garden Design Ideas For Your Family Garden
Family gardens are hard-working gardens, especially those that also have to accommodate the needs of small children.
Many outdoor toys and play structures not only take up a lot of space, but they’re also a nightmare for the eye. The good news is that there are a lot of fun children’s play elements that aren’t bright or garish and that you can work into even the smallest of family gardens in a subtle way that won’t ruin your garden design aesthetic.
In this blog we share 8 FUN GARDEN DESIGN IDEAS FOR YOUR FAMILY GARDEN that will help entice the kids outside to enjoy your outdoor space.
These fun & easy family garden design ideas are perfect not just for young children but children of all ages, and they won’t ruin your garden aesthetic!
Family Garden Design Idea #1
CREATE A GARDEN PICNIC SPOT.
When my children were young, I’d often pack their sammies and a few yummy snacks into a basket and send them out into the garden for a picnic lunch. All you need is a little space with a bit of lawn to pop down a picnic rug or add a cute kid-size picnic table. Under the dappled shade of a canopy tree is ideal.
Family Garden Design Idea #2
MAKE A SECRET GARDEN
Who doesn’t love the idea of a secret garden! Use trellis or screens to section off a little garden room or nook, so the ‘walls’ of your secret space are partially see-through and you can still keep an eye on your little ones. Make the access to the secret space via a narrow path that cuts through planting or create an entry with an archway or vine covered arbour. This makes the secret garden space feel mysterious and inviting, giving a feeling of transition as you journey from one space to the next through a ‘pinch point’.
Family Garden Design Idea #3
MAKE A PAVED OUTDOOR GAMES PATIO
While younger children might not grasp the concept of chess or draughts, they’ll still have fun dragging oversized games pieces about from one paver square to the next.
Most hardware stores and landscaping yards have affordable concrete pavers in contrasting light and dark colours that are suitable to create a checkerboard patio with.
In the hard-working small garden space shown below, I placed the outdoor chess board on the view line of the dining room window, where it adds a sculptural touch. There are pickable veges and fragrant herbs in the raised garden behind, and the raised garden edge is at a height to provide littlies with a casual seating ledge between turns.
Family Garden Design Idea #4
ADD A SWING OR HANGING CHAIRS
No matter how old we are, it’s hard to resist a swing. If you don’t have a suitable tree to hang a swing from, a simple wooden seat hung from a timber frame with natural coloured rope will integrate beautifully into most garden settings, as will hanging chairs.
Family Garden Design Idea #5
SLING A HAMMOCK
Hammocks can be picked up for a song these days and make great spots to read favourite books or indulge in all sorts of creative play. You don’t need two perfectly placed trees either, just pop in a couple of posts or fix hooks to a sturdy structure.
Family Garden Design Idea #6
MAKE USE OF MOUNDED OR SLOPED GRASS
Not everyone is blessed with a perfectly flat lawn. Before you fork out for expensive retaining, consider slightly recontouring your sloped areas to make fun grassy slopes for kids to roll down or create little mounded hills to conquer, climb or connect by bridges.
Family Garden Design Idea #7
ADD SPACE FOR OUTDOOR ART
Blackboards make fantastic garden additions for children of all ages to create outdoor art on, or to use as outdoor easels. Make your own from marine ply and blackboard paint. Fix one to the fence (or paint it directly onto a suitably smooth surface) outside their bedroom window, where they can create and enjoy their own ever-changing masterpieces.
Family Garden Design Idea #8
HOPSCOTCH PATHS
Use large pavers with resin bound pebbles in between to embed a hopscotch into a path area. This can make a boring space like the path to the shed or the clothesline a little more fun, or place it near the vege garden and it’ll keep your little ones entertained as you potter.
WANT MORE IDEAS TO BEAUTIFY YOUR GARDEN?
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