Backyards for families: What should you include?

The size of your family, as well as your children's ages, may have an impact on the size you will want your backyard to be and what you may want to include in your garden diy projects.

Here is a guide to the various-sized families and what you may require in your outdoor space.

Young families

If you have young children already or are planning for one on the way, safety might be a big priority for you.

Although you will no doubt supervise your children when they are playing outside, you don't want to run the risk of the littlies dashing off into the street. For this reason, you might want to consider building a fence and gate to surround your garden. This way you can be assured your children will be safe.

Young children may also particularly enjoy having a playhouse. Why not build one yourself? This is a fun project that will provide years of fun for growing kids.

Growing families

When you begin to plan your garden landscaping, it can be tempting to design for the current age of your children. However, it is important to ensure your plans allow you to make changes in future.

While toddlers may not require much lawn now, when they get older you'll want plenty of space for those backyard cricket and rugby matches.

You may also want to think about how you want to spend time in the space - is it for relaxation as well as recreation? 

If you plan on spending quality time with the family outside, one great idea is to install an outdoor kitchen area or barbecue patio. This way you can spend those warm summer nights together as a family - what a great use of the space!

Speaking of dinner, another great addition to your outdoor space could be the construction of a vegetable patch, or mini fruit orchard. Not only is this a great tool for children, but you can benefit from the fruits of your labour with delicious treats ripe for the picking.

Empty nesters

Once the children have flown the coop, your backyard options may increase tenfold. You won't need to worry about having enough space for backyard cricket and can instead create a relaxation oasis for yourself.

Why not build a pergola so you can be protected from the sun's harmful UV rays when you spend time outdoors enjoying life?

Or create a gourmet garden. Now that there are no picky eaters left, you can plant all the lettuce you want!