Your garden is a kind of haven at home. An area for you to enjoy, for achieving your green-fingered goals or to relax in the sun. It could be the area you keep your pets entertained, or it could be where your children love to play the most.
We have children in mind in this week’s blog, as we look at how to make your garden child-friendly and give them the best chances of staying off the screens, getting outdoors and enjoying the garden, for play or for learning.
Have a look below at the 8 easy ways you can make your garden child-friendly and fun.
1. Make the garden a sensory experience
Children are enthralled by colours, smells and shapes. Their curious minds want to explore, learn and play and by enhancing those points in your garden, all of their senses reap the benefits. Look for tall, bright flowers, maybe nasturtiums or sunflowers for instance. Different grasses can sway in the wind, stimulating their experience of sound with some gentle and calming swishes. A garden can be full of wonderful smells and using things like curry plants can really open up a child’s mind. In addition, you could create a sensory experience by growing various herbs or fruits.
2. Add pathways
Many children, especially the younger ones, want to cruise on their trike, scooter or another wheeled piece of gear, so why not give them a crazy pathway to follow? It could run through the centre of the garden, around the perimeter or go in a pattern. The possibilities are almost as endless.
3. Create a play area
The garden isn’t just for the children – you’ll want some space for yourself to enjoy the fruits of your labour, too. With that in mind, you can construct a designated area for the children. Sandpits, toys, swings, all make great features for a fun zone. One tip we particularly like is to make a wall in this area of the garden a blackboard. The children can then draw, write or colour whilst outside and get creative.
4. Lay turf
Some gardens can be quite barren and as a result, do not inspire either you or your children to benefit from it. If you have a garden that is lacking some green space, invest in turf – better still, invest in artificial turf. It’s safer for children as it protects them better from falls and trips than a regular lawn. In addition, it doesn’t get churned up when they play due to its all-weather nature.
5. Give children their own plot
Making a child-friendly garden doesn’t just mean you need to consider how they play. Giving them their own plot to work on helps build confidence, teaches them about nature and gives them something they can work towards where they see an end result they can feel proud of.
Fully supervised by parents, children can weed, dig, plant and organise a section of the garden in their vision.
6. Avoid water features
This could be seen as taking away a great opportunity for the children to enjoy something special, but putting safety first, we believe the risk outweighs the reward. Ponds may pose a drowning risk and fountains or similar could prove hazardous. They can be an attraction for birds, certain insects and the occasional amphibian. Whilst potentially exciting to watch, the curious mind of a toddler or young child could lease to accidents that would have otherwise been avoidable.
7. Avoid toxic plants – always check before planting
Whilst many plants offer us beautiful colours, shapes and smells, there are some that also come with a serious health risk. Whilst the number of toxic plants is fairly small, they can pose a risk you would certainly like to avoid. With that in mind, always check any labels or gardening guides with reference to what you are planting. In addition, keep any of your gardening chemicals locked away at all times.
8. Make a den
If you have the space, creating a covered area for children not only helps encourage their roleplay skills and imagination, but also allows for more play when it rains! You can buy purpose-built items, or you can construct them yourself. A simple den can become an office, a hospital, a shop or whatever else your child has in mind for it that day.
At The Sussex Artificial Grass company, we have completed many projects where kids enjoying the garden has been a priority. That is why we rely on a product called Easigrass. Its low maintenance nature coupled with its safe and non-slip surface means that whatever the time of year, your kids can enjoy the garden like they would in the summer. With the Easi-Shockpad fitted as standard, any falls and trips are felt with the minimum of impact resulting in less injury and fewer tears!
Perfect for sports and perfect for pets too, get in touch today to learn more. We can provide a quote, send out a sample or complete a site visit. Get your garden child-friendly today.
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