In a family garden, your first port of call will often be toys and games for your kids to play. Sure, a bright slide and a turtle sandpit might not look quite as striking as a flowerbed, but you can bet it’ll still make an amazing scene when your kids get outside to enjoy those additions! There’s just one problem – that doesn’t tend to happen anywhere near as much as you would like.
As parents, we’ve all been there, and it’s easy to lose hope. In reality, though, kids are curious by nature, and they also love to spend time outside. If they’re not doing that despite such great entertainment offerings, then it’s a sure sign something’s missing. And that missing element often comes from your garden itself. Keep on reading to find out just three of the reasons why your kids might be avoiding their outdoor play area, as well as some suggestions for what you could do about it!
Photo by Polesie Toys
1 – No Sense of Privacy
You probably don’t love spending time outside if you feel like the neighbours can watch your every move, and your kids won’t like that either. Not only will this kind of exposure inadvertently prevent you from sending them outside enough to form a healthy habit, but it might also see them feeling unable to engage fully in outdoor play.
That’s a problem, but it also has a surprisingly simple solution, in the fact that even just planting a hedge border can help to create a more private outdoor oasis. The use of garden zones can also help for ensuring a play setup that genuinely feels like its own little world.
2 – Sorely Lacking Shade
We don’t deal with a huge amount of heat here in the UK, but the sun can still get pretty hot in the height of summer. If your garden offers no shade, then play equipment will quickly get hot to the touch, and your children could easily burn themselves or end up with burnt skin.
To avoid this, it’s well worth incorporating specific shaded areas to keep your kids and their toys protected. Gazebos and umbrellas can be useful to some extent, but more permanent solutions like these oak pergolas can provide even more reliable shade all-year-round, in precisely the right position to keep play cool no matter how warm that sun gets.
3 – Worrying Home Hazards
Kids don’t forget things in a hurry. If they’ve tripped over stray roots or just dodged a falling roof tile while playing outside, it’s probably cemented in their minds as a reason not to go out and play.
This highlights the need to always create a safe outdoor area, through precautions that might include levelling the ground, dealing with cracks or repairs, and also taking the time to get your roof regularly checked, and quickly repaired if problems arise. Then, your kids will be able to enjoy safe, undisturbed play in their newly private, fully-shaded outdoor zone.
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