How Can I Make Outdoor Living Spaces Kid-Friendly

How can you create a more kid-friendly outdoor space? Adults aren’t the only ones who can benefit from a well-outfitted backyard. Adding kid-friendly features such as fairy garden, toy kitchen set, or multifunctional outdoor “play room” are great ways to engage your children in positive activities while you are taking care of home and work tasks. Children who are given the opportunity to play outside reap numerous benefits, enjoying fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and the capacity to expand their imaginations. 

Ideas for Incorporating Kid-Friendly Features into Your Outdoor Space

It’s not difficult to create a one-of-a-kind outdoor area your whole family can enjoy without detracting from the design of your outdoor space. Support the physical and emotional well-being of your children with these inspiring outdoor additions:

• Center Stage
  Designate a portion of your patio for a small, raised stage for singing and dancing, plays, or puppet shows. Keep the stage low to the ground for safety, adding curtains to camouflage when not in use. Include a weatherproof trunk for costumes and gear.
• Kitchen Companion
  Incorporate a matching outdoor kitchen for your kids, including toy grill, faux food, and plastic dishware. Accessorize with matching aprons and a chalkboard menu for multifunctional fun. Be sure to locate it a safe distance from your outdoor kitchen and review grill safety, differentiating real from pretend.
• Tea Party
  Add a tiny tea table and cute tea set so your little one can host a garden tea party in the backyard while you enjoy wine and cheese with your spouse.
• Portable Play
  Designate an open area of your outdoor space for portable or pop-up play accessories such as pint-sized houses, trains, and tunnels, alongside hopping balls and toys shaped like animals to encourage imagination and movement.
• Fairy Garden
  Bedeck a section of your backyard with child and wildlife-friendly foliage and flowers, creating a ‘fairy village’ filled with garden gnomes and butterflies, and accessorized with theme furniture such as colorful mushroom-topped tables or hanging pod swings.   
• Art Studio
  A chalkboard wall is perfect for artistically-inclined children. This inexpensive addition can be easily squeezed into your existing space and is ideal for yards short on real estate.
• Archaeological Dig Site
  Add a sandbox, roping it off like a dig site and burying specific items such as toy dinosaurs, fossils, or gemstones for your child to unearth. 

Don’t Let Rain Thwart Backyard Fun

Whether you need to keep your kids warm and dry or safeguard them from excess sun exposure, StruXture adjustable aluminum pergolas have you covered. With a StruXture pergola addition, your family will never have to miss out on outdoor fun. Adjust your pergola with the flick of a remote or swipe of a smartphone, easily engaging leak-proof rain protection or adjusting louvers for the perfect amount of sunlight.  With built-in task lighting, ceiling fans, heaters, and motorized screens, you and your children can enjoy your space any time of day, year-round.

Create a backyard space as unique as your family. Schedule a complimentary design consultation from Denver Pergola Systems today. 

This article was previously published at: http://www.denverpergolas.com/how-can-i-make-outdoor-living-spaces-kid-friendly/