Every home that has children should have a designated place outside for the them to play in. For those who have children, adding an outdoor play area to the landscaping can have its rewards: the children are happy with an area to play in, parents are at ease knowing the kids are safe, and kids are more likely to stay out of the rest of the garden. It may turn out that your area could become a favorite hangout of the neighborhood kids, which might be a mixed blessing. It is usually reasonably easy to adapt  landscape plans so that at least a small play area can be provided for the younger members of the family.

Homes with small children should place play areas close to the house. The kids will be close within sight but not feel locked up or restrained. An area that can be seen from the kitchen window is ideal. While there are a lot of toys like swings, slides, and such available for an area like this, young children still like to think up their own games and can be very creative with natural materials. A simple sandbox (kept covered when not in use, to keep neighbors pets out) will keep younger kids happy for hours. Place some natural materials like rocks or sea shells in the sandbox. (Later, you can change the sandbox to a garden.) Small trees with strong branches close to the ground and old logs works good as climbing frames.

Older children enjoy playing further away from the house, but they still need a safe area created in the front yard or backyard landscaping where they can enjoy imaginative play. Older kids still like to use their imaginations so hold off a bit before giving them a treehouse. Start out simple, maybe with some boards as steps nailed to a tree or even a rope ladder to climb up into the trees. The tree can then become anything that the imagination demands. A plane, ship, castle, or anything at all.

A patch of grass in the garden area can be great for everyday play - soft enough to fall down on and possibly even long enough to hide in. If this doesn’t fit the rest of your landscaping plans, consider using bark chunks or chips as a surface cushion under play equipment which can help ease the pain of those falls and tumbles that are bound to happen.

An concrete patio or other slab will most always be one of the most used spots in the garden as the kids get older. Riding a bike, rollerblading, playing jacks, jumping rope, and a lot of other childhood games will be learned right at this spot. And those other skills may even include gardening, if you give them a small, sunny place of their very own.