Child-friendly gardens, by the La Menara landscapers

With all the focus on making gardens beautiful, stylish and an added-value accompaniment to the architectural and visual impact of your Marbella property, it is sometimes overlooked that children are in many cases their main users.

Little ones may not give quite as much importance to aesthetics as we grownups do, but if you do have children, the garden is still one of the ultimate spots for them to have fun in – especially if you want to tear them away from digital screens for some fresh air and healthy exercise.

Playing can provide that, as well as help with creative thinking and the development of social skills, so for both your children, their friends and also those who visit from abroad it is important to make sure that your own private ‘green belt’ is not only beautiful, but also a playground where hours of fun and exploration produce lasting memories of long, sunny summers.

 

 

A children’s paradise

Marbella has the perfect climate for outdoor fun, and if you’re not comfortable with your children being out and about town, then creating a natural green space for them to roam in can be the ideal solution. A garden (section) designed with children in mind shouldn’t be overly ornate, as balls will be flying around, little feet running, water being splashed and playground spaces created. Best to provide a clean lawn rather than hard surfaces that can cause injury when kids fall – an inevitability from time to time. Leave the beautiful rose bushes and dainty flowering plants for the more elegant ‘grownup’ part of your garden and flank the lawn – ideal for ball games, handstands and setting up ‘camps’ – with hedges or fences that delineate the child-friendly zone.

Tall trees can provide shade and a good spot to pitch a tent, but if you don’t want your children to climb them it might be good to think of Cypresses and similar species with narrow branches. A manmade children’s playground, with swings, slides and climbing frames, is of course a great idea, and they can be made to look as natural as possible in keeping with the rest of the garden. Add a trampoline, a wooden Wendy House or even a tree house set upon the lower branches of a suitable tree.

Remember to avoid hard and slippery surfaces – soft grass remains ideal for kids – as well as rocky terrain, cacti and dainty flowerbeds, and add entertainment facilities such as the ones described above, yet also make sure that there are as few big window surfaces for balls to fly through as possible. After all, kids will be kids, so allow them a little ‘wild’ zone to explore and lose themselves in, and if possible, why not incorporate some areas where they can watch or interact with animals too, as the admiration between children and cute little creatures appears to be entirely mutual.

 

Get in touch with our creative design team at La Menara to explore the world of possibilities not just for your garden, but also to make it a green paradise for your children.