The best family-friendly backyard ideas combine a space to relax and entertain with ample areas for kids to explore and play freely.
Our favourite family-friendly backyard ideas blend beautiful landscaping with dedicated play areas and activities. We made sure to include options that are budget-friendly and suitable for yards with limited space.
12 Family-Friendly Backyard Ideas
- Outdoor Dining Area
- Native Garden
- Multi-purpose paths
- Protection from the elements
- Herb Garden
- Sandbox
- Water Features
- DIY Splash Pad
- Treehouse or Playhouse
- Outdoor Movie Area
- Yard Game Area
- Creative Seating
1. Outdoor Dining Area
A space for enjoying meals outside with family and friends is a must-have for kid-friendly backyards. An outdoor dining area can be as simple as a small patio table and folding chairs.
To elevate an outdoor dining area, a skillion patio is the perfect addition. Custom patios offer shade, protection from the elements, and a designated space for an outdoor kitchen.
We were excited to see how this sleek, simple, modern poolside patio and outdoor dining area completely transformed our client’s backyard.
See more of our favourite custom poolside patios here: 5 Poolside Patio Ideas and Examples from Our Work – Aussie Patio Designs.
2. Native Garden
Planting a native garden is good for the pollinators and the planet. And your kids will love seeing the birds, butterflies, and bees it attracts.
Bonus: Since native plants are acclimated to the extreme heat we experience, they require less maintenance once established.
Here are some of our favourite native plants to incorporate into patio landscaping:
- Grevillea
- Cacti
- Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos)
- Bottlebrush (Callistemon)
- Frangipani
- Succulents
- Native ornamental grasses, such as Lomandra or Poa
- Heliconia
- Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia)
More landscaping inspiration: 10 Simple Yet Stunning Patio Landscaping Ideas – Aussie Patio Designs
3. Multi-Purpose Paths
When planning paths for your backyard, be sure to incorporate multiple uses. Along with using the paths for easily strolling through your backyard or accessing your garden, kids will love stone paths or paved paths. Paved paths can be used for riding scooters, rollerblades, bikes, and skateboards for hours of fun.
4. Protection from the Elements
Ping pong table. Check.
Lush greenery. Check.
Hot tub. Check.
Dining area. Check.
Grilling area. Check.
Protection from the scorching sun. Check.
Ample, comfy seating. Check.
This Large Custom Gable Patio is the epitome of family-friendly backyard design!
The clients wanted a design that felt high-end with cathedral ceilings to let plenty of light in. The result is a modern, spacious patio that transformed their backyard into the ultimate entertaining space. We enjoyed bringing our client’s vision to life and seeing how much usable space, visual interest, and family-friendly fun this added to their yard.
The custom gable patio doubles as a convenient area to store bikes out of the elements and keep the yard uncluttered. Between the ping pong table, hot tub, and outdoor dining area, we foresee endless hours of fun in this client’s future.
If you don’t have the space or budget for a gable patio, protection from the elements is still crucial, especially for little ones. If you need shade, a large beach umbrella with a sturdy stand can be moved around as they play.
5. Herb Garden
An herb garden offers kids an important chance to learn how to grow food and understand where food comes from.
If you’re interested in teaching your kids how to grow their own food but have limited space, plant an herb garden. Herbs are easy to grow and can flourish in container gardens, pots, raised garden beds, or incorporated into landscaping.
Find a small area or several containers and let your kids help you decide which herbs to grow. Let kids help water, weed, and care for the herbs. Once the herbs are ready, include your kids in planning a meal that uses some of the herbs.
Here are some of our favourite easy-to-grow herbs that also double as lovely landscaping:
- Chives
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Mint
- Parsley
6. Sandbox
Our next Quintessential family-friendly backyard idea — the sandbox. Kids love digging, moulding, sifting, and building with sand.
We strongly recommend adding a sandbox cover. Beyond aesthetic reasons, a sandbox cover will protect it from critters and the elements when not in use. We also prefer to use hardy native plants as edging around the sandbox to help incorporate it into the landscaping.
7. Water Features
This family-friendly backyard idea is better for older kids as even a few inches of water can be dangerous. Still, water features instantly elevate any backyard, serve as a stunning focal point, and provide endless hours of fun for little ones.
Ponds attract a vast range of wildlife, including dragonflies, butterflies, birds, turtles, and insects of all kinds. If you’re lucky, you may even get to witness a frog’s life cycle with your little ones. Kids are fascinated by the process of tadpoles turning into frogs and it provides an amazing learning opportunity.
8. DIY Splash Pad
A way to cool down in the heat is a necessity in any Perth backyard. No pool? Splash pads are ideal for homeowners with limited budget or space.
Here are some ideas to combine to make your own DIY splash pad for those scorching summer days:
- Water cannons
- Sprinklers
- Fountains
- Buckets and pails
- Reusable water balloons
9. Treehouse or Playhouse
This one requires more space and a hefty time investment, but we love a good treehouse! If you have a sturdy, strong tree, consider constructing a treehouse complete with rope railings and swings underneath.
Add play features that will keep kids active without realising they are exercising, such as:
- Zip line
- Cargo net
- Climbing rocks/wall
- Tree stump path
- Climbing rope
You can also build a treehouse or playhouse with a specific theme in mind, such as a ninja treehouse with activities, storybook themed, ship themed, slide cabin/clubhouse
10. Outdoor Movie Area
An outdoor movie area is an awesome addition to a family-friendly backyard. Family and friends of all ages will love enjoying outdoor movies together.
We like this family-friendly backyard idea because it can be set up and taken down as needed and requires minimal space.
Here are our must-haves for outdoor movie nights:
- Projector: A high-quality projector is the foundation of a successful outdoor movie night.
- Screen: If you don’t have a portable screen, a blank wall or white sheet may do the trick.
- Sound system: Keep it simple with a portable Bluetooth speaker or go big with a serious outdoor sound system.
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- Seating: We recommend bringing out some comfy bean bags to curl up on or folding lawn chairs.
- Trays and folding side tables: Trays and side tables make it easy for family and friends to enjoy snacks and beverages during the movie.
- Movie snacks: Along with classic popcorn, we love dried fruit, chips, pretzels, veggies and dip, trail mix, pita chips with hummus, and chocolate dipped strawberries.
- Cosy blankets: Plenty of Perth nights turn surprisingly cool, so we recommend having some blankets on hand to curl up with.
11. Yard Game Area
A kid-friendly yard definitely needs an area for yard games! We like having an outdoor storage bin filled with yard game options so they are easy to grab and play any time.
Some of our favourite backyard games for all ages include:
- Outdoor dice
- Oversized yard jenga
- Croquet
- Bocce ball
- Mini golf
- Cornhole (a true classic that is great for all ages)
You May Also Like: 10 Tips for Creating an Outdoor Entertainment Haven
12. Creative Seating
A family-friendly backyard needs more than just a few chairs by the outdoor dining table. Consider adding fun outdoor seating such as:
- A hammock
- Swing chair
- Kid-sized furniture
- Firepit seating
- Fold-up camping chairs
- Bean bags
One of our favourite creative seating options is stumps. They are portable, add visual interest, and add a laid-back, natural vibe to any yard. Stumps can be easily moved around as needed depending on how you are using your backyard that day.
Create Your Dream Backyard
The best family-friendly backyards combine relaxing with exploration. We hope these ideas inspire you to add some features that allow you to relax and entertain while the little ones explore, play freely, and let their imaginations run wild.
Need help creating your dream backyard? It’s what our expert Perth patio installers have done for almost three decades! Contact us to book your free on-site quote to get started.
