Creating a garden for children

Considering so much of children's early development is spent in their gardens at home, it makes sense to provide as many opportunities as possible there for exploration and discovery.

Landscape architect Mary Jeavons specialises in designing the outdoor play area for children. She says the key to enabling children to truly engage with a garden is to deliberately create some 'undesigned' sections in the space.

"You can create a framework for the garden with planting and paths and other landscaping elements, while at the same time leaving some areas unfinished and OK to muck about in," she says. "This might be a little patch for digging, or simply a nice space beneath a tree with overhanging branches, where children can play."

Landscape designs that encourage kids

According to Mary, these less formal areas are then "catalysts for particular types of play". It's here that children make up games, she says, possibly using elements taken from the rest of the garden design. These could be flowers for decoration, leaves for jumping in, stones to make patterns or pieces of wood to construct cubbies or other structures.

"Put tough plants in the garden that don't mind being plucked, picked or occasionally broken," says Mary. "If possible, choose plants that have lots of colour and interesting shapes and textures."

Outdoor garden screens for concealing areas

If the adults are concerned about the way these outdoor areas look - especially in the case of exposed earth or generally untidy play areas - then Mary suggests using screens to hide them, or partially hide them, from view.

Fun kids games using rainwater

While skipping under sprinklers all summer long may be something this generation of kids never gets to experience, playing with water is still a great way to learn, which is why Mary suggests using rainwater tanks for water games.

"You can even teach children about water conservation by giving them a finite amount to play with, and telling them that when it runs out that's it; no more water play for the day," she says.

Exploring smaller spaces in the garden

Smaller spaces can also be designed with exploration and discovery in mind. Mary points out that dividing the space into sections or 'rooms' with subtle screens, or curving paths that lead somewhere just out of view, can add a sense of size and complexity to a smaller garden.

Child safety in the outdoor area

Safety for the children is obviously paramount. Avoid garden plants that are toxic or have other dangers - such as sharp thorns - and be aware of other hazards, such as sharp or hard surfaces near or beneath play equipment or climbing trees.

Contact a landscape designer to find out how you can make your garden into an outdoor area for kids: