AD
Kids love playing outdoors. There’s something about the fresh air that keeps them hooked on outdoor play. Whatever it is, it also tends to help them sleep well too, which is why I actively encourage it!
The thing is, once you decide you want the kids to play outside regularly, you have to make it suitable for them. You want it to be safe and you don’t want them to get bored easily. Part of this involves making sure they don’t run out of things to do.
Turning your garden into a space that’s geared towards children playing takes thought and preparation. It makes sense to buy some outdoor toys and and do a quick safety once-over too. And of course, it’s also ideal to buy garden furniture such as garden bench for your comfort while looking for your kids playing. This doesn’t mean spending lots of money. This doesn’t mean spending lots of money, but it’s likely you’ll have to spend some.
Tips for Making Your Garden Child-Friendly
As a mother-of-three, I’ve already had to make sure my garden is fun and child-friendly. These are my top tips for giving your garden a makeover the kids will love.
Patch up escape routes
Kids are like spiders when it comes to getting through small spaces. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to blocking escape routes. My brother once slithered through a 3 inch gap under the garden gates when he was a tot. I can’t rule out that he’s not superhuman, but just to be safe, always cover even the smallest gaps.
Invest in a slide
In my experience, slides never stop being fun. A kids slide will provide hours, days and even years of entertainment. Generally speaking, if you buy a good quality slide, it’ll last you years and any babies born later down the line will still get the benefit of playing on it. Slides for kids are a really good investment for a fun garden. If you can only buy one thing, definitely get a slide! My kids even play on their slide in winter – I dry it off with a towel, then wrap them up warm and send them out to play!
Sand and water play
This one is more suited to summer conditions because kids tend to get drenched, then chilly, but sand and water play is always a hit. Either go a sand and water table for them to stand and play at, or get a separate sandpit and paddling pool for larger-scale fun. If you’ve got very little ones, they might try to eat the sand, so keep an eye out!
Cut back bushes
To ensure you maximise the space for the kids to play in, make sure you don’t have overpowering plants. Trim your hedges neatly so that there’s no overhang taking over the garden. If you’ve got any spikey bushes or brambles, it might be worth digging them up so that your little ones don’t accidentally injure themselves.
Build up a collection of ride on toys
Ride-on toys are another safe bet for long-term entertainment. My son would do laps of the garden on his ride-on toys for hours back when he was a tot. He really enjoyed the variety of different ride on toys too. We had one that looked like a plane, one in the style of a motorbike, a traditional trike and also a tractor! I particularly liked them because it gave me a second to sit on my garden furniture and drink my cuppa while he whizzed past!