Keeping kids happy outside without constantly hearing “Mom, there’s nothing to do!” is no small feat! Here are some landscape design ideas that the kids will love in Reading and Lebanon, PA, areas - spaces that are safe and stimulating, where kids can burn off energy and engage in creative play.
Related: Landscape Design Tips for Bohemian Backyards in Allentown PA
Landscape design begins with the age of your kids, but you always want to make sure that these kid-friendly areas can easily grow along with them and of course offer something for everyone. After all, the sandbox stage won’t last forever! Here’s how to create enjoyable play areas now… as the kids grow… and easily transform them into adult-friendly spaces once the kids are grown and gone.
Natural Landscaping
No kid can resist the appeal of boulders. Natural obstacles invite healthy play and the development of problem solving and athletic skills. When kids are small, the spaces between boulders could be sand. Later, as the kids outgrow climbing on the boulders, you could replace the sand with ground covers, perennials, annuals, and shrubs to create a beautiful pollinator garden that attracts local wildlife and beneficial insects.
A Play/Game Area
Game areas are a great way to make use of a small side yard. You could start with a swing set/jungle gym and sandbox. As the kids outgrow it, the space could be transformed into a place for lawn games such as bocce, or even a parkour course.
Room to Run
A flat grassy area is the ideal solution for football or soccer games, a game of chase, impromptu races, volleyball, or badminton.
A Place of Their Own
As kids get older, they start to want their independence and privacy. A side yard could become a kids-only retreat (you could repurpose the game area, or use another side yard if you have one). A simple teen-friendly hangout (or younger-kid “fort”) could be created with a privacy wall, a paver patio, and festive string lights. Fill the space with toys when they’re younger, and a porch swing or a couple of colorful hammocks for teens. Adding a pergola would keep the spot shady on hot days (and pergolas make awesome forts with the addition of outdoor curtains or even some old sheets).
A Private Water Park
Kids can spend the whole day at the pool, and they don’t care how big or small it is. If you don’t have the room or don’t want the maintenance hassles of a full-sized pool, consider a dipping pool which is plenty big enough for kids to splash all day. If the space is big enough, add a slide.
For a pool area that grows with the family, add a waterfall and/or an elevated hot tub. The space won’t look like a waterpark once the slide is gone, but rather a sophisticated spa-like retreat.
If you don’t want to invest in a pool, a splash pad for the little ones (a shallow wading area with a few water spouts), a hot tub, and a water feature will provide endless enjoyment centered around water. A splash pad can morph into a fire pit area, and of course a decorative water feature and a spa will stand the test of time!
Concrete pavers are wonderful pool deck materials thanks to their non-slip surface, low maintenance, as well as dozens of design choices, from rustic to ultra modern.
A Tree Fort
Kids of all ages love to be in the trees and even if your property doesn’t have mature trees suitable for a treehouse, you could build an elevated structure complete with rope bridges and slides to give the kids an adventurous experience.
Related: Landscape Design Ideas for Waterfront Backyards in Reading, PA
