7 Kid-Friendly Small Yard Ideas

Wouldn't you like to make your yard fun for your kids? Right now with the cost of gas higher than it's ever been, staying home more is definitely a very attractive alternative to finding fun elsewhere so I sought to come up with kid-friendly yard ideas for my children. My yard is small and a weird L-shape. As much as I love scrolling through yard inspo in Pinterest, none of it really seems to suit my modest yard reality and none of it adds to the fun-factor for my particular youngins; I have a teen girl and a toddler boy. So instead of lamenting my lackluster lawn size, I've taken on the task of using what I have to make my yard a more enjoyable space for them both. I believe that these 7 tips will make your yard so much more fun for your kids, as well!

1. Gather around a fire pit. S'more, roasted fruit, or just keeping warm on rare chilly summer nights are 3 great reasons for a fire pit. Just use with caution and always with an adult on-site.

2. Have a Chill Spot for reading, art, or just relaxing. For us its my back deck and my front porch. My deck is tiny but it's just right for 1-2 people to hang out and enjoy a little peace and quiet. My daughter knits, crochets and draws here often. Check out my how-to tips in "How To Turn a Tiny Deck into a Mini Oasis."

3. Create a garden! Planting something, watching it sprout up, and then keeping it alive is a fun activity for both children and adults. And you get to sneak in science lessons too!

Bonus: When you plant fruit or veggies, the activity becomes a yummy snack encouraging your kids into healthy eating! Win-win.

4. Another way to make your yard more fun for your kids is to bring in a water activity! Most of my neighbors have above-ground pools in their small yards and I totally get it! It's HOTTT and humid in NJ in the summer! But I just don't want to be bothered with the upkeep plus we have a membership at a recreation center with an Olympic-sized pool and waterpark so a cute splash & sprinkler situation suits me just fine.

Target has these kiddie pools that I love!

5. Have a storage bin for outdoor toys. Running in and out for the same toys all summer long is a drag. And leaving them outside can mean ruining them in the rain or intense sun. An outdoor toy box is the perfect storage solution and every time your kid opens it, its like looking into a treasure trove full of things to do! I use this one from Target.

6. Movies Under the Stars! A projector, a screen, and Netflix (or other movie streaming service) turns any yard into a movie theater. I've done it in my own yard and I have attended a movie night at a friend's yard with my daughter and it was so BOMB!

7. Commune with nature! You're outside so you may as well get closer to nature! We are doing that with a butterfly garden! You get a screened habitat sent to you and then in a separate shipment, you get caterpillars and their food. You let them grow and cocoon in the jar then transfer them into the net to become butterflies. After a few days, we will set them free. Get your Butterfly Garden here.

Bonus Tip: Introduce your kids to classic Yard Games like horseshoes, darts, badminton, bean bag toss and hopscotch! If these games were good enough for us, they're good enough for them! Ha! Plus it'll get their bodies moving and their eyes away from their devices for a little while.

Most importantly, have fun, play safely and stay hydrated! If you liked these 7 kid-friendly yard ideas, please SHARE and join my mailing list below to never miss dope DIY inspiration! Let me know in the comments, what ways have you made your own yard more fun for your kids.

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