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Jenniferdawn 02:01 PM 10-06-2014
Hi everyone. I want some great ideas thrown my way. I am having a landscaper come tonight to help design my backyard. I want it very daycare friendly but also something that can still be nice after I am done providing daycare. Do you have things in your backyard you and the children particularly love? Anything you wish you had?
BrooklynM 02:03 PM 10-06-2014
Originally Posted by Jenniferdawn:
Hi everyone. I want some great ideas thrown my way. I am having a landscaper come tonight to help design my backyard. I want it very daycare friendly but also something that can still be nice after I am done providing daycare. Do you have things in your backyard you and the children particularly love? Anything you wish you had?
No, but I'm interested to see what you come up with! I'm in the bay area as well, so let me know what you come up with. What part of the bay are you in? I'm in the east bay.Hi everyone. I want some great ideas thrown my way. I am having a landscaper come tonight to help design my backyard. I want it very daycare friendly but also something that can still be nice after I am done providing daycare. Do you have things in your backyard you and the children particularly love? Anything you wish you had?
Jenniferdawn 02:16 PM 10-06-2014
I'm in the Sacramento area. 
melilley 02:22 PM 10-06-2014
I have a section of my yard sectioned off with landscape timbers and inside are wood chips (here we have to have something shock absorbing under anything over 30" tall). I also have a big wooden playscape with 2 regular swings, a baby swing, 2 ladders, a slide, and a couple of other activities on it, which the kids love! My rule is, if you can get up by yourself, then you are old enough to play on it. Or for the swings, if you can get on yourself, you are old enough to swing on them. I also have a Step 2 plastic playscape with two slides that they also love. Bikes and the Cozy Coupe are a big hit too!
I would post a pic, but can't figure out how to post one, it says they're too big.
I would post a pic, but can't figure out how to post one, it says they're too big.
Josiegirl 02:46 PM 10-06-2014
How cool! I'm in the north eastern part of the states so with climate being so different, I have no idea as to plants, trees, etc. Are you asking about that type of thing or playsets and such?
I'll tell you what my backyard is like: large maple tree in 1 corner with a tire swing and 2 toddler swings. Half of my yard is grass, the other half mulch. On the mulch part are my 8 in 1 playset and my LT large cube climber. At the other end of the mulched area is a large sandbox(shaded by a large pine tree outside of my fence) and a LT picnic table beside that. Then as you come in the top gate there is a winding path made with tree cookies that goes around a playhouse and leads over to a play kitchen area.
I still want to get rid of my plastic stuff but I'm stumped about what to get.
We did have a small garden and sunflower house this past summer which was cool. The garden didn't do so well but the sunflowers were quite pretty and huge! Just took them all out yesterday.
Maybe what you should do is spend an hour or 2 on pinterest to get some ideas. There are plenty.
And draw a rough diagram of what your backyard dreams are.
I can't wait to see what you come up with too!! Please share!
I'll tell you what my backyard is like: large maple tree in 1 corner with a tire swing and 2 toddler swings. Half of my yard is grass, the other half mulch. On the mulch part are my 8 in 1 playset and my LT large cube climber. At the other end of the mulched area is a large sandbox(shaded by a large pine tree outside of my fence) and a LT picnic table beside that. Then as you come in the top gate there is a winding path made with tree cookies that goes around a playhouse and leads over to a play kitchen area.
I still want to get rid of my plastic stuff but I'm stumped about what to get.
We did have a small garden and sunflower house this past summer which was cool. The garden didn't do so well but the sunflowers were quite pretty and huge! Just took them all out yesterday.
Maybe what you should do is spend an hour or 2 on pinterest to get some ideas. There are plenty.
And draw a rough diagram of what your backyard dreams are.I can't wait to see what you come up with too!! Please share!
Sunchimes 04:57 PM 10-06-2014
I know this is probably obvious, but check all plants for toxicity. Not just flowers but trees, shrubs, and all of their parts. The leaves of something might be safe, but the flowers they have 2 weeks of the year could be toxic. Don't forget to consider things that fall off, because sooner or later you will get that kid that puts everything in his mouth. My current problems are a live oak with tiny acorns and little green pecans still in the husks. Last spring, the pecans produced catkins that DCB tried to eat like they were candy. Luckily, a call to poison control proved them non-toxic. But, think ahead and do your research before planting.
daycare 06:51 PM 10-06-2014
I'm in Cali and do to the drought I'm putting in professional grade turf.
It's gonna cost me a pretty penny but it will even out with the money I save from not having to water it.
You can get it at Home Depot and they install it too
I am tearing out lots of my plants that require too much care and water.
Also no more garden box.
I have a huge wood chip area like at the park with several play structures slides etc.
Then inside the woodchips is a HUGE sandbox. It is played with more than anything else I have.
I have 14 kids daily so it helps that it is humongous.
It's gonna cost me a pretty penny but it will even out with the money I save from not having to water it.
You can get it at Home Depot and they install it too
I am tearing out lots of my plants that require too much care and water.
Also no more garden box.
I have a huge wood chip area like at the park with several play structures slides etc.
Then inside the woodchips is a HUGE sandbox. It is played with more than anything else I have.
I have 14 kids daily so it helps that it is humongous.
DaveA 04:46 AM 10-07-2014
Not sure if this counts as "landscape" but one of both DCKs and my own kids is we fenced off one corner of the backyard & have a couple of Silkie chickens and a few ducks. We all love watching them and they provide so many teachable moments. Even if you don't have space for a dedicated space, fitting a chicken tractor (a portable coop and run) into the design would be something I would look into.
AmyLeigh 08:57 AM 10-07-2014
You could do a butterfly garden full of plants that attract butterflies. Keep in mind though, they will also attract bees. I saw on the DIY network website a fairy garden that a woman designed. Almost all the plants had fairy or magical names and there were a lot of fairy statues. So cute!