A kid friendly backyard should be a place for imagination and play. This means that you want to turn your outdoor space into a magical oasis where your children can really tap into their creative side. Instead of having a plain old backyard with boring landscaping, you could turn your outdoor living space into an area where your kids will be chomping at the bit to play in.
Indeed, as summer inches closer and closer, you will want to prepare yourself for the days when your kids have time off from school. Studies show that children watch way too much television during the summer and most TV programming is happy to indulge. This is why you want to have your backyard ready sooner rather than later. Here is how to create a kid-friendly backyard that promotes outdoor play.
Create a Big Sandbox
A sandbox is great because it creates a very distinct parameter where your children can get lost in their imagination. All you need is a few wood planks and some specialized sand. You can then purchase some safe rakes, shovels and even castle molds to build sand castles. When purchasing sand, make sure there are no harmful materials, like silica, because this can cause respiratory problems.
Have an Art Station
An art making station is another essential for outdoor play. This is especially the case for those kids that like to make art. There are a few ways to create an art making station. If you have the space, you could create a little hut with a roof where your children can draw and paint in the shade. Another way to build an art making station is to simply place an upright standing wall that can be used as an easel of sorts.
Plant a Maze
A maze can be a great way for kids to get excited about spending time outdoors. To create a maze, all you need is to plant some high shrubs or flowers into the shape of a maze. You can then trim the maze accordingly. Alternately, you can create a maze out of wild sunflowers. These sunflowers grow so tall that your children will be able to get lost in the flowers. The best part is that you can pull the sunflower seeds and enjoy them at the end of the day.
Install Jungle Gym Equipment
A jungle gym is an obvious way to make your backyard kid-friendly, and it can promote outdoor play, but it must be done right. Indeed, you have to know what to search for when looking for equipment. For instance, searching playground equipment Melbourne is one way if you live Down Under or you can search ‘jungle gym equipment.’ There is a good chance that you will get a lot of results.
Add a Waterslide
If you have a pool, you may want to enhance the pool by installing a waterslide. Indeed, swimming can be a great way to get some exercise, but if it’s not fun to swim, your kids won’t want to go near the pool. With a waterslide, not only will your kids want to swim, but also so will all of their friends.