Your Guide to a Fun-Filled and Family-Friendly Backyard
Create a practical outdoor area that will be attractive to kids, and will handle a bit of their wear and tear too
Susan Oong
4 January 2016
Houzz Australia Contributor. I am a magazine writer and sub-editor with a penchant for beautiful gardens, vegie patches and abodes.
Houzz Australia Contributor. I am a magazine writer and sub-editor with a penchant... More
There’s no question that kids need access to the outdoors to thrive. Whether you have a small courtyard or balcony, or acres of green lawn and garden, there’s always something you can do to encourage your troop to head outside. These inspired open-air spaces have plenty to offer both little kids and big ones, while also being practical and functional. Plus, our love of blurring the boundary between the indoors and outdoors at home makes it even easier for families to transition to the garden. Take your inspiration from these clever ideas.
Keep it simple
Inspiration can come from all areas, but it’s also hard to go beyond the tried-and-true grassy suburban backyard. There’s much to be said about kids having access to an open space for unencumbered imaginative play, or just a friendly game of backyard cricket.
Inspiration can come from all areas, but it’s also hard to go beyond the tried-and-true grassy suburban backyard. There’s much to be said about kids having access to an open space for unencumbered imaginative play, or just a friendly game of backyard cricket.
Let the river run though it
If your yard is large enough you can create a faux rivulet, which is really just a long narrow pond edged with big pebbles. There are plenty of DIY tutorials online on how to create a mini wetland at home. Populate it with small fish or tiny turtles and your children will spend hours here watching them go about their daily business.
If your yard is large enough you can create a faux rivulet, which is really just a long narrow pond edged with big pebbles. There are plenty of DIY tutorials online on how to create a mini wetland at home. Populate it with small fish or tiny turtles and your children will spend hours here watching them go about their daily business.
Play on pavers
It seems counter-intuitive that a paved backyard would be an ideal play space, but in the right context, it is. The hard surface is perfect for tearing around on trikes. It’s also a great blank canvas for chalk drawings, handball and endless games of hopscotch.
It seems counter-intuitive that a paved backyard would be an ideal play space, but in the right context, it is. The hard surface is perfect for tearing around on trikes. It’s also a great blank canvas for chalk drawings, handball and endless games of hopscotch.
Take centre stage …
With a little out-of-the-box thinking, kid-friendly spaces can be created anywhere, regardless of dimensions. This inner-city home has a converted rear courtyard that doubles as a small-scale theatre, framed by the perfect proscenium, for acting out kids’ dramas.
Prepare outdoor yards for kids
With a little out-of-the-box thinking, kid-friendly spaces can be created anywhere, regardless of dimensions. This inner-city home has a converted rear courtyard that doubles as a small-scale theatre, framed by the perfect proscenium, for acting out kids’ dramas.
Prepare outdoor yards for kids
… Or centre court
Equally functional for adults and kids alike, this backyard in Melbourne makes the most of all available space. The usual backyard turf has been cleverly transformed into a grassed tennis court, and a section of the deck houses the pool.
Tennis courts worthy of a grand slam
Equally functional for adults and kids alike, this backyard in Melbourne makes the most of all available space. The usual backyard turf has been cleverly transformed into a grassed tennis court, and a section of the deck houses the pool.
Tennis courts worthy of a grand slam
Create a sensory garden
Younger kids love to touch and smell their way through the world. Stimulate their senses with pots of different fragrant and textural plants: think rosemary and lamb’s-ear (Stachys byzantina) or stepping stones overgrown with thyme.
There are plenty of fun ‘tasting’ shrubs too, such as the old-fashioned shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana) that produces a slurp of nectar in each flower. If space permits, include an area for vegie growing and perhaps even a backyard chook or two, to teach kids about food and where it comes from.
Younger kids love to touch and smell their way through the world. Stimulate their senses with pots of different fragrant and textural plants: think rosemary and lamb’s-ear (Stachys byzantina) or stepping stones overgrown with thyme.
There are plenty of fun ‘tasting’ shrubs too, such as the old-fashioned shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana) that produces a slurp of nectar in each flower. If space permits, include an area for vegie growing and perhaps even a backyard chook or two, to teach kids about food and where it comes from.
Hideout in HQ
An essential element of childhood, whether it’s a lovingly built play house (such as this one) or a temporary fort made from reclaimed sticks, is a cubby. All kids need their own hideout, away from prying adult eyes, to act out their ideas. Part of the charm of this cubby is that it’s partially hidden from view behind a secret garden.
An essential element of childhood, whether it’s a lovingly built play house (such as this one) or a temporary fort made from reclaimed sticks, is a cubby. All kids need their own hideout, away from prying adult eyes, to act out their ideas. Part of the charm of this cubby is that it’s partially hidden from view behind a secret garden.
Lap it up
When embarking on a large-scale project, plan to utilise all available space. In this heritage home in Clifton Hill, Victoria, the owners have created formal and informal outdoor recreation spaces, with a pool and plenty of green space for kids to play. With all pools, make sure the fencing is secure to prevent accidents, and that there’s adequate adult supervision when kids are in the water.
When embarking on a large-scale project, plan to utilise all available space. In this heritage home in Clifton Hill, Victoria, the owners have created formal and informal outdoor recreation spaces, with a pool and plenty of green space for kids to play. With all pools, make sure the fencing is secure to prevent accidents, and that there’s adequate adult supervision when kids are in the water.
Provide shade cover
Protect the kids from the harsh Aussie sun by providing a shady spot to play in. Consider incorporating a permanent built-in shade structure like this one, a retractable awning, or a stand-alone option such as a cantilever umbrella or a removable shade sail.
Shade your outdoor areas in style
Protect the kids from the harsh Aussie sun by providing a shady spot to play in. Consider incorporating a permanent built-in shade structure like this one, a retractable awning, or a stand-alone option such as a cantilever umbrella or a removable shade sail.
Shade your outdoor areas in style
Get on up
Intrepid outdoor designers can incorporate fun fixtures at home to entertain kids. This rock-climbing wall on the side of a cubby house is an ideal way to encourage the bigger kids to burn off some energy. For younger kids, installing a slide to span the slope of a terraced area in the backyard is sure to be a winner.
Get to grips with a climbing wall
Intrepid outdoor designers can incorporate fun fixtures at home to entertain kids. This rock-climbing wall on the side of a cubby house is an ideal way to encourage the bigger kids to burn off some energy. For younger kids, installing a slide to span the slope of a terraced area in the backyard is sure to be a winner.
Get to grips with a climbing wall
Create a trompe l’oeil
Research shows that gazing out over green space, whether it’s real or a clever foil as on this large-scale backyard screen, can help to raise your body’s serotonin levels to keep you calm. And let’s face it, most of us could benefit from a bit more calm.
Research shows that gazing out over green space, whether it’s real or a clever foil as on this large-scale backyard screen, can help to raise your body’s serotonin levels to keep you calm. And let’s face it, most of us could benefit from a bit more calm.
Escape to the country
All this aside, providing large grassy areas for play, with trees to climb and space to run around in, makes for an ideal childhood. If you’re lucky enough to have the space, string up a hammock or hang a swing chair for hours of fun and a little relaxation too.
TELL US
How do you encourage your children to be more active in your outdoor areas? Share your ideas and backyard photos in the Comments section.
MORE
Pre-Summer Backyard Blitz: Week 8 – Invite the Kids Outside
Discovery Gardens: 15 Ideas to Let Kids’ Imaginations Run Wild
Transform Your Backyard Into a Kids’ Adventure Zone
All this aside, providing large grassy areas for play, with trees to climb and space to run around in, makes for an ideal childhood. If you’re lucky enough to have the space, string up a hammock or hang a swing chair for hours of fun and a little relaxation too.
TELL US
How do you encourage your children to be more active in your outdoor areas? Share your ideas and backyard photos in the Comments section.
MORE
Pre-Summer Backyard Blitz: Week 8 – Invite the Kids Outside
Discovery Gardens: 15 Ideas to Let Kids’ Imaginations Run Wild
Transform Your Backyard Into a Kids’ Adventure Zone
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Here's a link to a job we did for a family home in Sydney. We installed two retractable roofs in their backyard, which has transformed how the children play outside. They use the outdoor table as a play table and can be outside even when it rains. Mum even said that the retractable roofs changed her life!
Great ideas, thanks for sharing!
If you can add a pool into the backyard then I would say do it. Or even if you want to convert your current concrete pool into a vinyl one then you can do a nice concrete pool renovation