With summer rapidly approaching, your backyard has a huge potential for becoming your family’s favorite relaxing spot. No matter how big or small it is, you can easily turn it into a source of refuge and enjoyment. It could be a perfect place for family-friendly activities, but also an inspiring one where you can completely relax and unwind. In other words, your family’s own personal oasis.
The best thing is that it doesn’t require a lot of work. You won’t need to sacrifice aesthetics nor style, and you don’t need a truckload of fancy equipment. Actually, having too much stuff around might make it difficult to move around and create an overall chaotic appearance. That’s why we’ve put together a list of simple things which will provide your family with an outdoor space to relax, play, and live in.
Green Grass of Home
When we think about a relaxing backyard, the first image that pops in our brain is one of a healthy green lawn. And this goes beyond an American dream. If you wish to create a relaxing space, first you need to create an active play area for your kids. You need to give them a good reason to put down their digital devices by making your backyard more attractive for fun activities. Features like a trampoline, sandpit, slide, or a swing can be of much help, but nothing can surpass the feeling of running across a grassy space barefoot. Grass areas are safe to play on, your kids will strengthen their immunity and muscles, and reconnect with nature. Just make sure you maintain a healthy lawn – if you see it yellowing, know there could be other causes than just a lack of water. If you happen to have a pet dog or cat, you should be aware that their urine can also be toxic to your lawn. The key ingredient here is high levels of nitrogen, also found in certain fertilizers.
Cozy Instead of Grandeur
People invest in grandeur decks, patios, and balconies, but most of them fail to realize that seating can make all the difference. You can have the most impressive patio dining table but if the seating is not comfortable you’ll simply eat your burger and go back inside. On the other hand, if you have chaise lounges, loungers, lounge chairs, or deep seating set which allows you to stretch out and relax, you won’t be able to resist kicking back and spending more time outside. When you look at it this way, you’ll realize that the right hammock and a guide for hammock setup can get you a long way when it comes to some serious relaxation.
Calming Waters
The first association of many would be a hot tub full of hot water and bubbles. But, while it is a soothing way to relax, it’s not the only way when it comes to water. Some will opt for a private swimming pool which will provide exercise opportunity and cool you off at the same time. There are many impressive water features for your yard, but you should keep in mind that even the sound and sight of water provides a restorative and calming effect. Every water element will bring peace and tranquility into your outdoor area, so the lack of budget or a lack of space is not an obstacle. You could go for a small fish pond or even a simple fountain or birdbath to achieve a relaxing feel without too much labor.
Magical Nights
Your enjoyment and relaxations in the backyard don’t have to end with the setting sun. With strategically placed outdoor lighting, various activities can continue in the evening. Again, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy nor complicated – simple twinkling lights are not reserved only for festivities and you can use them to add a magical feel to your backyard at night. Combined with plants with strong scents in the evening, your yard will look and feel like a true fairy kingdom.
Smooth Transition
In order to reap all the relaxation benefits, you need to make sure that your indoor and outdoor space are connected. The inviting power of nature can easily decrease if there is some preparation needed before you can go outside, especially for the kids – they need to be able to wander indoors and out barefoot, so make sure there’s a seamless flow between the house and the backyard.
As you can see, creating a relaxing backyard for your family doesn’t require much labor, budget, nor space. All you need is to maintain a healthy lawn, some cozy seats, a simple water feature, some interesting lights and scents, and to keep the backyard seamlessly connected to the house itself.
