With school children attending virtual classes and many parents working from home, people are stressed and anxious, and nothing relieves stress better, perhaps, than being outdoors. Your own backyard opens up endless possibilities for relaxing and playing with the kids, and refocusing on what matters most in life. Sharing time together and creating memories are more important than ever. To help you make the most of the situation, here are three tips from masonry contractors for quality outdoor family time in Canton, MI.
Related: Landscape Design Tips for Making the Most of Side Yards
A backyard for a family needs to meet multiple needs. Kids have lots of energy and they need space to move their bodies and keep them from claiming they are bored. Parents need a tranquil retreat from their responsibilities and worries. And the family as a whole needs a comfortable place to gather.
Look for Opportunities in the Side Yard
A side-yard transformation offers a fun opportunity to incorporate games and sports into the landscape. Many side yards don’t see much use: they’re often used as a transitional area or as storage for the lawn mower and gardening tools. But if your side yard is flat, it could be the perfect spot for a jungle gym, sandbox, or bigger-kid-friendly games like horseshoes, bocce ball, or outdoor bowling. If your side yard is sloped, a miniature golf course might be just the thing to keep everyone entertained on a lazy afternoon.
If your patio is too cramped for family fun, consider an expansion that will give everyone elbow room while enhancing your backyard space with a beautiful addition.
Combine Relaxation with Fun Activities
Looking to create more relaxing spots in your backyard? If you have two side yards, one can be set aside for games, and the other for a quiet meditation retreat. Imagine a paver walkway meandering gently to a small paver patio tucked in a quiet corner, shielded from the world with a teak slat privacy fence, a bamboo fence, or a living wall. Sit on a comfortable bench or swing in a hammock and inhale the fragrance of flowers while the soothing sounds of a small bubbling fountain let you forget your worries… your zen retreat would be great for yoga, napping, reading, working, or cozy story time with the kids.
A gazebo or pergola make a great retreat where you can read stories to the kids, or play games without being baked by the sun. You can have a pergola installed directly over your paver patio. Or picture enjoying a stand-alone backyard structure that can double as a kid-friendly fort if it had outdoor curtains.
Make Room for Togetherness
Today’s landscapes feature the kind of amenities that draw families outside, to spend time together, whether it’s an inviting paver patio, outdoor kitchen adjacent to a dining area, or a fire feature that offers alluring warmth. Every evening could offer a family backyard camping experience, complete with a fire pit. A seating wall could be constructed nearby for easy access and wonderful views. Keep in mind that even a natural gas or propane fire pit offers the opportunity to cook marshmallows. Cleanup of fire glass (or lava rock) isn’t as easy as with a wood fire, where any dropped food simply burns, but when you offset the safety and convenience of a natural gas or propane fire pit, you’ll see that it could be a great choice for a family.
Related: How Landscaping Companies Create Outdoor Living Spaces That Keep Homeowners at Home in Troy, MI
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