How important is a garden once kids are bigger?

[KindergartenKop]

We are trying to move house. Currently our garden is about 3x9m and it's not really big enough for my kids to play football in properly. They're 7 and 9. We want a bigger house too, and a quieter road. The problem is that all the bigger houses with bigger gardens are on busy roads. We've seen one fabulous house in a quiet road but the garden is only 5x9m and I'm concerned this isn't big enough. I'm also worried that if we compromise on the road for a bigger garden then in a few years it won't get used and I'll just have loads of work with maintaining it plus the noise of the road. Any advice? Thanks!

Yeah, ideally there would be space for a formula one track but we live in London so probably will have to make do with a bit less space!

I also think that at 7 and 9 you'd still want a decent garden as they're not old enough to go to the park unaccompanied. Two boys of that age - I'd really want them to be able to run off some energy in the safety of the garden.

I wonder if the children of posters who say their children are not interested in using a garden would actually have used it had it been big enough?

We have older teens (16) and a tween. Garden isn't particularly big but its used every day for football / netball / hanging out with friends. Have had plenty of tent sleepovers, fire pit / pizza oven "gatherings". Would definitely feel like a massive compromise to have a tiny garden. It really depends on your priorities though.

I also think that at 7 and 9 you'd still want a decent garden as they're not old enough to go to the park unaccompanied.

This depends where you live, where I am it is completely accepted and common for 7 and 9 year olds to play unaccompanied on the estate's field and park.

This depends where you live, where I am it is completely accepted and common for 7 and 9 year olds to play unaccompanied on the estate's field and park.
Have to disagree, sorry. At 7 and 9, it wouldn't matter where I lived or whether it was "accepted" or not, my children wouldn't be going to a park 10 mins away by themselves at 7 and 9. Yes maybe to playing in the street outside your house if that's a thing locally, but no way to a park 10 mins away.

@Africa2go sorry yes I agree a park 10 mins away, I hadn't caught that was the scenario, I was thinking a park more local than that which we've always had.

Dc over 9/10 barely used the garden. By then they spent every opportunity at the local park with their friends. That's when they weren't at various clubs, days out, at school, on holiday etc.
By 12 I can count on one hand when they set foot in the garden.