(Ann Simmons)
When I was 7, Mike Simpson was the coolest kid on the block because he had a playhouse in his backyard. (Never mind the time we accidentally set it on fire. Funny now only because no one got hurt.) The best thing for the adults about a playhouse is that when the kids outgrow it, it makes a perfect shed for storing tools or gardening supplies- I even know someone who modified theirs into a chicken coop! (Just keep the matches away from those delinquent little mothercluckers.)(Bob)
Treehouses are a quintessential part of childhood. Look around your property- theres probably a big oak that would make a darn fine treehouse for your little adventurers. Not sky-high about doing construction work up in the treetops? Build it on the ground around the trees- its the same Swiss Family Robinson experience without the added altitude.(Joshua Martin)
I dont know any kids who dont love the water. Sure, a standard-issue swimming pool serves the purpose, but why not go all out? Slides, fountains, and waterfalls help create a wet and wild time for everyone.(TB Concrete)
Then again, if you have the acreage, an old-fashioned swimming hole leaves the landscape looking completely natural even when there is no pool party. Mother Nature didnt bless you with a pond of your own? Professional landscapers can excavate as big a hole as you want- you add the water.(Sam(Sandy))
But you dont have to have enough water to actually swim in. It only takes a little H2O to create a big splash, for rugrats and koi alike.(Terry Nussbaum)
Maybe your little ones are into sports. Professionally-installed sport courts (for hoops or roller hockey) are becoming more and more popular, but you can score big on your own with just a few weekends worth of work. Doesnt take much more than elbow grease to whip up a bocce ball court, a horseshoe pit, or a sand volleyball court.(Steve)
What about a sport that youll want to take part in, too? YardShare men (and our golfing ladies!), Im talking about a putting green. Go ahead and sell this idea to your significant other as a putt-putt course for the kids. Stick a windmill or clowns face out there if you need to. But you and I both know that after bedtime, youll be out there practicing your short game. Thats an above-par idea if I ever heard one.(Alicia Pabon)
But the child-friendly spaces in your yard dont have to look like kid stuff. Put in some winding pathways and colorful planting beds around that playhouse, give it a fresh coat of paint in some whimsical colors, and you have not only a gorgeous cottage landscape but a fairy garden that your little princess will explore to her hearts content.(Barbara Stanley)
Kids are fascinated by the magic of gardening. Even better if what theyre gardening is something they can eat. My kids got a lot more interested in carrots, green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes when they started coming out of our own veggie garden. Weeding, watering, and other garden chores become playtime without much salesmanship on your part and the whole family gets to enjoy the fruits of the labor. Vegetable gardens are even becoming increasingly popular at schools a way for the faculty to take the lessons out of the classroom.(Sarah Baranoff)
No matter what your kids are into or how much yardspace you have to dedicate to them, keeping your little ones in mind when designing a landscape can result in very big things.