Children and their gardens

2 year old DGD spends ages crouched down in the world of ants and spiders, who run for their lives. Otherwise she's digging random holes and scattering gravel willy nilly!

Her 4 year old sister charges round barking orders at ancient grandparents who are roped in as Cozy Coupé pushers or ball throwers. Running amok with the hosepipe is the favourite pastime.

My grandchildren only have a little back yard where they live but they play outside all the time, when they come to my house they love playing in the garden as do my next door neighbours children

My children always played in the garden and my grandchildren are the same , my daughters both say it is hard to get their children to come and go to bed! As a family I think we would rather be out in the garden or on the beach than indoors .
I remember the fun my own children had in the summer holidays, they would put the tent up in the garden and sleep in it most night until it was term time.

Where I live, there is a large grassed area with legal Conditions attached ie no ball games, no cycling. Due to the location its obvious why these conditions apply. Also we are located on the edge of a large woodland park with loads of grassed area too. A small river contributory runs through one section, very shallow with stepping stone sections.. There is a golf course also nearby by. All the properties have at least a medium sized garden. Where do the kids play, - on the grassed areas where ball games are prohibited. Constant nuisance from balls hitting fences, damaging planting, balls running onto roads, balls in gardens damaging folks planting (even hit a small child). Do parents care, no, they don't see the children running amuck so out of sight out of mind. A garden doesn't mean children will use it, only very little ones usually being supervised by an adult seem to be the prime candidates nowadays.

My DgD both love playing in our garden having said that we do have a large garden with several swings a play house, a climbing frame with slide plus an area of the garden they call their secret fairy garden which a small wrought iron table and two chairs and lots of fairy doors and ornaments some of which were left over from when our ownDD was young. My youngest DGD asks to go outside to play in her park😂😂

We always had a garden when my children were at home and they played out there a lot in the summer, though it was almost unused in the winter.
One of my daughters now has just a big balcony, the children can play there but actually much prefer going out to a playground - we have several in our local area. They can go to playgrounds winter and summer, provided it is not actually raining. There are gardens all around the estate which are really very little used, though it's nice to have something to look at. Also no ball games are allowed, which I feel is a shame - although I wouldn't want them to fall into the river or canal whilst chasing after a ball!
I don't think that many younger people have traditional gardens now with veg patches, fruit, lawns and flower beds. Ease of maintenance rules out anything involving much work, probably because most people with children are working during the week and don't want to maintain anything at the weekend. I honestly don't blame them, they get little time together.

My DS has a large garden, backing on to a school playing field. It was one of the reasons they chose their property, as we lived in a small end terrace as they grew up, hardly any garden.

Have they made best use of it? No.

Neither he nor DIL like gardening, DH has done more than them to maintain the garden. The GC’s, now 20 and 17, have never been that bothered too much about playing outside.

I think devices have a lot to do with it, plus neither parent is very active either.

Now they talk about downsizing, don’t think a large garden will be a priority.

We played out in the street a lot when I was young. But there were very few cars.

Oreo

It’s an interesting question, ‘do children today play in the garden less than previous generations’ and I would think that may well be the case, depending on the age of the child of course.Little ones always like to play out and maybe dig in the garden or chase a ball.If you put a swing out there it will always get used.Slightly older children may not use a garden in any way.

When I drive through any town around here, I rarely see children playing in their gardens.
Though obviously, sometimes we only see the fronts of houses, and not around the back.

GrannyGravy that all sounds delightful but hardly anyone has gardens like yours.

It’s an interesting question, ‘do children today play in the garden less than previous generations’ and I would think that may well be the case, depending on the age of the child of course.Little ones always like to play out and maybe dig in the garden or chase a ball.If you put a swing out there it will always get used.Slightly older children may not use a garden in any way.

One DS has a section of their garden with Astro Turf, on this there are various slides, outdoor toys and way GC has their own garden house complete with window boxes which they plant themselves and are responsible for.

At the end they have a green house and veggie/fruit beds.

They also have a garden room/bar/pool table and dart board along with a large entertaining area which gets used whenever it’s not raining (they have heaters if it gets a bit chilly)

Another AS has an entertaining area, garden room (again with pool table etc) the GC are mid teens so no longer have play equipment, but do have a basket ball hoop, archery an football goal.

DD has a smaller garden which is fully Astro `Turfed, they have a football goal, a football rebounder, basket ball hoops along with a large paved area where the GC use outside chalks for pictures and/or hopscotch etc.

Our gardens are all fully used across the ages.

My DGC have always loved playing out in their parent's garden, and in ours, which is much bigger. This Christmas DGC (17 & 14) plus parents and aunt were all out in the garden after dark playing a game, invented when they were about 5 or 6, known in the family as 'Find Daddy in the dark'

DS and family also spend a lot of time outdoors generally and all of them still have activities and pursuits that take them outdoors.

Sounds like it is my gc that are not making much use of their gardens.

When I was looking to buy a house a garden was an essential for me. However, I looked at a house with a lovely garden but the space inside was not big enough. I didn't buy the house and bought one with a well designed and very private (also quite scenic) back yard. I am now so glad I did.
The kids next door are always out in their large garden, and my GCs play in theirs too.
Families use their outside space in very different ways I guess, but it is importnat to have them regardless.

My grandchildren spend lots of time in their garden. Admittedly it is quite large but they have fun.They both like being in my small garden too.

All of my grandchildren spend time in their gardens, with swings, slides, trampolines- one set has a tree house. One family has an allotment and all of the children enjoy growing fruit and vegetables.
This might change, of course, when they become teenagers....

My DC all work but all 4 have gardens and they and their DC spend a good deal of time in them so I think your family may want a reasonable size garden.

It saddens me to see gardens concreted over either for parking or for "easy care". I want to lift the concrete and sow seeds!

As with most things it’s hard to generalise. Both our sons love their gardens and their children play/played out while also becoming involved in gardening to a greater or lesser degree. The youngest is a keen tender of vegetable plants. There are so many calls on time and other opportunities now for both parents and children it sort of makes sense that less time is spent in a garden at home.

The two little lads who live next door to me always seem to be playing in their garden and having a total ball. They have a football net, a tree house and in summer a paddling pool and a little tent. They either play alone, with friends or very often their dad. They have two little dogs who are always out there with them too. It seems like an idyllic childhood to me.

Not never petra, but I think it may be as Jaxjacky says, in reality, gardens are now not used as much by children.
Parents' lives may be different, which has made the possible change.

Are you saying that whenever you visit your children the grandchildren never play in the garden?
You would have to visit a lot to make that assumption.
Or maybe they just don’t want to?

It’s interesting isn’t it fancythat when I worked on a new housing estate in my last job many first time buyers and young families wanted small gardens with minimal maintenance.
I think lives are busier, most couples work f/t and money is spent on very different things from years ago.
My daughter and her two use the garden as a house extension when the weather is good, my son and partner live in an apartment. We veer towards my daughter and our garden, whilst compact, is enjoyed by us all when we’re entertaining them all, mostly in clement weather.

My other point is, do other families with kids, in reality, use their gardens a lot less than families in previous decades did?

Oh I know it is "their".

But not my point.
My point is, if say they have a choice of say house A and house B, and they are thinking of house B as it has a larger garden, and presumably costs more, is it going to be "worth" it.

They havent started their house search yet, so I have just been musing.

Yes, they use our garden here a lot, but ordinarily in their own homes, it appears to be largely ignored. Is the reality.