Whether you have a large country garden or a small outdoor space in the city, the garden can be a pleasant space for family gatherings. Some key features will turn it from everyone standing around the BBQ getting annoyed with each other to something for the entire family to enjoy.
Children First
Children are often a forgotten afterthought when it comes to both interior and garden design, hailing back to the bygone era of “children are meant to be seen, not heard”. If you really want some peace at family gatherings, put the children first. Sophisticated playhouses can blend into the garden surroundings if you don’t have children of your own. If you have children, you may want to consider a playhouse with a slide or even one shaped like a rocket ship. Playhouses bring children hours of joy and keep them more active than the old colouring books and broken crayons. A playhouse will help the children feel part of the family so the adults can talk in peace.
Garden Furniture
There’s something a bit unnerving about the family sat at the picnic table with empty plates while waiting for the BBQ. Family fights get started that way. Regardless of the size of your outdoor space, there’s garden furniture for before and after the picnic table. There’s a selection of egg chairs and outdoor sofas to choose from so the grass can be saved for the game of football. Family members more inclined towards sitting can do so away from the picnic table and feel welcome.
Sports and Games
With the children and less active taken care of rather than expecting them to bend to your needs, the rest of the family can enjoy some active fun in the garden, whether that is before or after the BBQ. A simple football, away from any windows can present hours of daytime fun for the rest of the family with trying to get the ball past the goalie. If you come from a family of night owls, give the children torches for the playhouse if it isn’t wired for electricity and citronella candles for the family on the outdoor sofa and transform the patio into a dance floor.
The garden is an extension of the house. Family gatherings can be much more enjoyable if everyone’s needs are catered for. Even the smallest gardens can be transformed into a pleasant space for the entire family. Put the children first and they become less annoying and grouchy. Make sure the family members viewed as miserable have their own space and they suddenly become less miserable. That leaves everyone else free to be active and burn off the BBQ calories, whether that is sports in the grass or dancing on the patio. Don’t turn the garden into the dining room at Christmas. With everyone’s needs met, there’s less chance of a family argument. Meeting needs is easier to do in an outdoor space.
