If you have kids or grandkids that will be spending a lot of time in your yard, then you’re probably interested in family-friendly landscaping ideas. We love encouraging kids to spend more time outside and by landscaping with them in mind, they can enjoy an enhanced and safer experience.
In this article, we’ll talk about everything you need to know to create a safe and family-friendly yard.
There are many considerations that come into play but choosing the right landscape professional will help streamline the process.
Jump to:
Child friendly yard planning: How will you use the yard?
Any great landscape project starts with an important question: How do you plan to use the yard? Your wants and needs for your landscape should be at the forefront of decision making for any project, including a family friendly yard design.
Consider factors like:
- Your children’s (or grandchildren’s) ages
- How they like to play
- Supervision needs
- Pets that will be outside
- How will this change as they grow?
All of this should be considered as you make decisions regarding your landscape design. It could dictate things like the lawn to plant bed ratio or what types of boundaries might be necessary.
Creating defined areas
Often, when thinking about a family friendly yard design, we talk about defined areas. Homeowners often want active play areas where the kids will be kicking a soccer ball or running around to be separated from spots where adults might be hanging out or there are hazards in the way.
The trick is to create these defined spaces without making the yard feel very disjointed or broken up. Everything should still flow seamlessly.
One way to do this is with soft boundaries, like plant beds. While you want to be careful not to have delicate plants in places where they can get trampled by the kids, landscaped beds can help delineate separate areas in a subtle way that is also very aesthetically pleasing.
Mulch, stone, and edging can also play a role in creating defined spaces and can affect how children move and use a yard. When thoughtfully incorporated, these elements can help direct kids to areas where you want them to play.
Think carefully about supervision and visibility
If you’re going to have young children or pets playing outside, then you have to also consider supervision and visibility.
In other words, you can’t have an ornamental tree or shrub blocking your prime view of the yard and preventing you from keeping an eye on what’s going on. You want to make sure that you are avoiding these types of blind spots with any new landscape additions. That often means using lower-to-the-ground plantings in certain areas.
It’s also important that play areas are created within parents’ line of sight. The main play area should be seen easily from inside of the home and/or a deck or patio where the parents (or grandparents) might be sitting.
Considering the future
The kids might be little now, but their needs are going to change as they grow. When thinking about backyard landscaping for families, you want a landscape that is flexible enough to grow with your family.
One way to do this is to prioritize open space. A large lawn is as much a great play area for toddlers who are just running around as it is for teenagers working on their soccer skills.
It’s also helpful to choose timeless plantings (we’ll talk more about plants next). Ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials can be a great foundation for an area that suits your family through the ages.
Good landscape design will ultimately work even after the kids leave home. It’s one of the best ways to add both value and enjoyment to your property.
Choosing plants when landscaping for kids
Choosing the best plants for a landscape design is always an important decision. But when landscaping for a family with children, your decision making might take a slightly different approach.
You’ll need a landscape that is not only beautiful but also durable and safe for kids to explore and enjoy.
Here are some important considerations when choosing plants:
- Avoid plants that may be toxic: If you have young children (or grandchildren) or you have pets, you’ll want to be careful about plants with poisonous berries, leaves, or sap, especially in their play areas.
- Choose durable plant material: If you’re going to have plants installed in play areas, you’ll want to think about durable shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses that might be able to withstand a little wear and tear (like the occasional soccer ball running them over!).
- Avoid plants that attract stinging insects: Stinging insects are common here in North Texas and probably making their way onto your property no matter what you have planted. But you probably don’t want to encourage extra activity by installing a lot of flowering plants in the children's play area. Keep pollinator-friendly choices out of high-traffic zones and play areas.
- Think about allergies: While there is no such thing as completely allergy-free landscaping, if you have young ones playing in your yard and they have seasonal allergies, you’ll probably want to avoid pollen-heavy plants.
These are just suggestions and the plants that are going to be right for your specific property should be based on what’s right for you. We are commonly asked about low maintenance landscapes as people want to spend time enjoying the outdoors, not working there. North Texas native plants often make a good choice as they are well-adapted to the region.
When designing a landscape with kids in mind, there’s also a great opportunity to create landscapes where children can safely explore and come to appreciate a love of the outdoors!
Prioritizing Safety: Kid safe landscaping tips
Safety has to be a key consideration when planning a landscape for kids. In addition to choosing plants carefully, as we just discussed, consider these other ways to put safety first.
- Create clear sightlines: As we talked about previously, you’ll want to be able to see children and pets playing in the yard. Make sure large plant material or structures are not blocking the view of the play area.
- Consider trip and fall hazards: Uneven pathways, poorly placed edging, exposed irrigation components, loose materials, low branches, and landscape features all need to be kept out of running or play routes. Keeping up with routine landscape maintenance can help.
- Don’t overlook irrigation and drainage: Irrigation problems or poor drainage can create muddy, slippery, or persistently wet areas where children play. If you have kids playing in the yard, you might need effective drainage solutions.
- Consider a fence: Sometimes the safest solution is a fence, though we know it’s not right for everyone (and some HOAs might not allow it).
Accounting for the North Texas climate
Spending time outdoors isn’t always easy for North Texans. The heat that we experience can make it uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous. That’s why there is so much value in things like shade, durable plantings, and irrigation.
While you might not want the kids playing in the middle of a heat wave, you still want your landscape to hold up during those tough summer days.
Drought stress occurs when lawns (or plants in general) are not receiving enough water. Due to insufficient rainfall during the summer months, these conditions are common in North Texas. This is why lawns often require supplemental watering and why irrigation systems are so popular in our region.
Keeping up with landscape maintenance
No matter who you are designing a landscape for, keeping up with landscape maintenance will ensure the space is continuously usable.
As we’ve mentioned, when landscaping for kids, you do want to think about landscaping for safety. That means things like trimming branches, clearing pathways, and fixing uneven spots. Remember, these types of safety decisions can also keep aging family members safe!
In general, keeping your landscape well-maintained is going to play an important role in making it more usable and protecting its long-term value.
Landscape maintenance is a year-round necessity in north Texas, and getting the best lawn on the block takes more than pulling some weeds. From edging to mulching, and pruning to planting, there’s a lot to manage.
Because of the growing nature of our landscapes, your Lewisville, Highland Village, or Flower Mound, TX property is always changing. Enlisting an expert to help maintain your landscaping lifts the burden of time, resources, and energy. Plus, you won’t have to worry about making costly mistakes if you hire a knowledgeable, professional landscaping company.
FAQs
How can I make my backyard safer for children?
Considerations like sightlines, trip hazards, and boundaries can all play a role in safer yards for kids to play in.
How can I design a yard that is easy to supervise?
Avoiding tall plants that block sightlines and creating play spaces in visible areas are two key considerations.
What plants should I avoid if I have children or pets?
If you’ll have children or pets playing outside, be careful to avoid toxic plants, plants that attract stinging insects, and prickly plants in their play areas. If you have children with seasonal allergies, you might also want to consider low-pollen choices.
Can I incorporate a garden that kids can help maintain?
Yes, we love helping homeowners choose plants and create landscape spaces in which they can involve their children. If that’s your hobby as a parent or grandparent, we’d love to help create these spaces.
Choosing landscaping services in North Texas
Whether you are landscaping for kids or planning for the future, your landscape will need ongoing upkeep and care over time. At Grassperson, that is something that we take great pride in. We take our role in caring for your property quite seriously.
As you look for a landscape maintenance provider that you can trust, we would love for you to consider Grassperson. We have built a foundation of professionalism and top-quality work here in the North Texas area. That has helped us to grow and continue to add to our Grassperson family.
We’ll help develop a customized landscape maintenance program that was specifically designed for your property. With everything taken care of for you, all you’ll have left to do is enjoy your yard to the fullest.
Ready to have a truly impressive Northern Texas landscape for your family to enjoy? Get in touch with us so we can talk about what landscape maintenance or enhancement services are right for you.
