Garden for 0-3 year old

Good morning all.

I'm after some ideas. As some of you might have seen from some of my other posts, my garden is very much geared towards my son and his mates having tremendous fun out there.

Everything I've done is based on my oldest son's fun requirements, and its being built with the awareness that he is getting bigger and more capable as fast as I can change the garden, so its not really much for the new lad.

So by the same token, I want to build a small piece of garden for the new lad to enjoy until he's big enough to compete with his big brother.

Any ideas? I'm thinking some sort of small sensory garden or something. Only tiny, maybe 8ft square (or diameter if I go for a circular design).

 

No ideas at all then? Never mind. I'm sure I'll think of something

 

Would like some ideas too. My eight month old son, Ted, wants to eat the grass all the time (well eat everything!) so I'm struggling for ideas.

 

I think we're on our own on this one @nFrost.

Here's my initial thinking. Whatever I do, I want it to continue to be a nice feature after the new lad has outgrown it and migrated to the bigger kids play features also in the garden.

One idea I'm pondering is to dig a sort of bowl, about 8ft diameter, with lavender around the rim, so that it forms a sort of enclosed safe area that is difficult to crawl out of (and end up at large in the wider garden), but also a pleasant and relaxing place to just lay out. Once he is old enough to join in the antics of his older brother and his mates, such a bowl would also make a good position of cover for the many Nerf battles that happen in our garden, and when no kids are bothering, it will make a good place for me to fall asleep in the sunshine.

I need to think a bit more though, because although that plan will work fine for next year, by 2015 it will be a bit boring for the new lad, who will still be too little to play on the big features that I've done for my older son.

I'm also thinking about a second willow den, or some compact tunnels or something.

 

I like the idea of a little sensory garden and i also like the idea of making a bed out of grass....only an inch or two high so if the little one rolls off he won't hurt himself...hopefully...with a little mound under the turf ...like a pillow...if you get what i mean

 

Missed the bit where little Ted likes to eat grass.....maybe not such a good idea for him...mind you he wouldn't have to get up for breakfast

 

When the older of my two sons was just months old to maybe 2 years, he would try to eat anything. Grass is fairly safe. I believe it is a laxative. My son ate mud a few times, and I know not to use gravel or pebbles in the tot's garden, because they are sweeties, only unlike real sweeties, there is a good chance you will end up with teeth marks in your fingers as you frantically attempt to extract them from tiny mouths.

 

Without getting too specific Clueless, here's some suggestions based on our experience with our now almost four year old grand-daughter.

*Smelly herbs are fun to pick and sniff and share the smells and talk about.
*Rotting log piles are great to explore and find bugs and insects and even better if you've a bug-viewer that lets you really see all their legs!
*Snails are fascinating particularly when they peep out of their shells.
*Wood lice are fun and roll into balls.
*Digging holes to plant bulbs is great fun as is using a mini watering can to water them.
*Seed pods from flowering plants are fun to pull apart so you can see the seeds inside.
*Bushes are great for playing hide and seek.
*Picking and eating fresh veg and fruit is fun as is helping granny with the cooking. Though a handful of fresh peas in their pods, a freshly picked cucumber, tomato or carrot are instant gratification.
*Gathering fallen apples and adding them to the compost heap where there are worms to be admired is about as much fun as gardening gets!

Don't be tempted to make things too formal or structured.

 

I love the idea of a den! When I was little, dens were the bee's knees.

 

Have you seen the den I'm growing for my older son?

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/the-adventure-garden.53774/

 

Clueless, I am in absolutely no doubt that if all children had parents like you, the world would be a much better place. That is a fabulous den, I can't wait to see it grow! Your boys must think you are the coolest dad ever!

 

Thanks @LindsayH , that's a really nice thing to say