How to Make Your Backyard Truly Child-Friendly
Probably the biggest perk of owning a big backyard is having an open space where you can do everything from barbecuing and playing volleyball to installing a swimming pool, lying in the sun and getting some tan. One of the things your children, on the other hand, enjoy is being able to play out in the open with no distractions and limitations and since today’s children are not the most outdoorsy ones, wanting to spend time out of the house is more than good. If they wish to be outside and not locked in front of a TV and a computer screen, you should support and encourage them as much as possible.
What you can do to make their time in the backyard even more enjoyable is introduce a couple of adjustments that will transform it from a regular into extraordinary backyard that will not only be the talk of the neighborhood, but also a nice little piece of heaven for your children. Here are some of the suggestions you might take into consideration.
Spark Children’s Creativity
For creative children who love nothing more than to spend countless hours with a set of crayons and some paper, being able to do this outside will mean the world to them. What you can do is transform a piece of your garden wall or any other unused surface into a chalkboard by using chalkboard paint – even though this is usually done indoors, it can also be achieved in the open. This will allow your children to show off their creativity and ideas, and provide them hours of fun and games while still being outside. A radical, but probably the most fun idea thing you can do is to paint your garage or an entire back wall of your house in chalkboard paint – your children are going to be over the moon!
Swing and Slide Away
The most popular parts of children’s playgrounds are swings and slides and just by realizing that there never seems to be any free ones once you get there, you can conclude how much children love them. So, you could try to make DIY versions of these and install them in your own back yard so your children could enjoy them on a daily basis and not feel sad because the ones at a playground are already taken.
While it can be hard to build a slide and not every dad is able to do it, installing a swing is not such a difficult project. You can either buy an already made swing set that you just have to assemble and install, or you can improvise and make everything alone. You can set it up between two trees and use a car tire or just a piece of wood for the seat – do not worry: your children will not mind as long as it works and they can swing all day ling.
Time for Sports
Depending 
how big your backyard is, you can turn it into a sports area and give your children a chance to develop their athletic abilities in a safe and secure environment. Deciding whether they want to play basketball, football, rugby, baseball or any other sports should be left to your children and you can adapt the backyard according to their preferences.
With so many sports equipment that is going to be involved, you also have to take storing it into consideration and can either build a small shack for all the balls, bats, rackets and other, or use plastic pallets for storing your kids’ sports equipment in your garage. No matter what you decide, your children will be happy and you will enjoy seeing them be active all day long.
Tree House: The Perfect Escape
The final touch in your garden and a king of all children-oriented things in the backyard definitely is a tree house. It does not have to be huge and it does not have to be perfectly made – it just has to be a house in a tree, and this will be enough to ensure your kids numerous hours spent there. In the end, there are more than enough guides on how to do this all over the Internet, so it should not be too difficult a task.
When making a tree house, make sure to include your children in the process from the very beginning – they could choose the design, the materials and the shape, and, when the project is done, paint the house and decorate it. This will simultaneously teach them to be responsible and value their own hard work, and make them more exciting about spending time in the tree house. It will give them privacy and a chance to spend time with their friends uninterrupted.
These were just a few ideas you can easily transform into reality and make your outdoor setting truly enjoyable for your youngsters. I am positively sure you can come up with different solutions of your own that your children will use and appreciate.
Written By Lillian Connors
Exclusively For Homes Re-Imagined, LLC
Author Bio: If one thing is true about Lillian Connors, her mind is utterly curious. That’s why she simply can’t resist the urge to embark on all sorts of home improvement projects and spread the word about them. She’s also deeply into green practices, cherishing the notion that sustainable housing and gardening will not only make us far less dependent on others regarding the dwellings we inhabit, but also contribute to our planet being a better place to live on. You can check her out on Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.