If you have a garden do your kids not use it much?

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If you have a garden do your kids not use it much?

I had gardens in houses for years and my children rarely (if ever) used them. I rarely used them. They just provided me with work I didn’t want to do (I hate gardening).

We’ve got a yard now. It gets used sometimes. Mostly by my DSC. But you can walk to the park so DH usually takes them there instead. The front garden still requires gardening though. And neither of us like gardening at all.

It's a muddy mess right now so not so much. Spring and Summer all the time. If I'm out in wellies they will follow me but not independently during the cold months.

We use it loads spring to autumn as I like gardening, the kids have garden games or read in the hammock but mainly chase each other. Not much in winter as it gets boggy.

Mine love riding their quad bikes around our field, and in summer they love to camp out and go fishing and swimming in the lake. They are really outdoorsy kids

They use it loads.

3 children ( 6,8,13) and they rarely (never) go into the garden to play unless we are with them.

As a family we use the garden in the summer to eat or BBQ

Our kids have tons of garden toys - trampoline, scooters, balls, rackets etc and still won't play there unless they have friends over.

No idea why and we spend time outdoors as a family for example going to the park and NT

In spring and summer the kids are constantly out there. At the moment they're complaining it's too cold, and with the rain they don't want to be outside. I don't blame them

Kids use the garden all the time. Rain, hail or shine.
Lots of pottering and helping me with plants etc more playing in better weather.
I take them out if I cba having a walk.
It has been an absolute dream and I feel very fortunate during the last year to have it.

My kids used the garden constantly as children.
In the summer months great for messy or water play, for letting off steam running around, having friends over.
As toddlers thay had sand pits, then trampolines, we would plant and harvest vegetables- they had their own patch, we planted fruit trees, picked apples,pea pod wigwams in the summer, chalking on the patio.
They would rehearse and put on shows , with sheets draped over the washing line. We built and put up bug hotels, feed the birds and make fat feeders during the winter, make snowmen, lie stargazing at night with sleeping bags and hot chocolate.
Our garden was the favourite destination in the house when my kids were young.

Mine dont sadly, but they are od an age when x box and tablet are more appealing. They played with friends when younger but now complain it isnt big enough for football or bike riding now they're bigger

I'm always out gardening or reading etc

We have a fairly large garden. In lockdown it was used a lot and generally we do use it during summer but probably not as much as some people spend in there. But in the winter - rarely. It’s like a bog out there.

Not much. They would rather be out round the village, in the woods or down near the river.

We have, trampoline, slide, sandpit, seesaw and what seems like the whole Argos catalogue of outdoor toys and two big paddling pools but they only play on very hot days if I’m sat watching them for very small amounts of time 🙄

We live in an urban area but have a relatively big garden. Kids are out in it almost every day (6,4,3). I expect that will diminish as they get older but key factors seem to be that we spend lots of time out there and that we have lots of direct easy access, with glass doors which open on two sides to the garden and lots of picture windows.

It's the last point which made a huge difference. Prior to this in another house, we had one side door and two smaller windows looking out onto the garden. Despite it not being any more difficult, it really impacted how we used the garden.

Not at this time of year, although DS made a snowman at the weekend and I try to top up the bird seed every few days.

In summer, yes. We all use the garden daily and are grateful to have it.

Mine flew the nest a long time ago but, yes, used the garden with or without friends all the time when young. That is what it is for, surely, if you have children and for yourself if you don't.

Yes yes and yes!!!

Every day. Especially now. 8 and 11.

Basketball, football, trampoline
Just messing around

I’d lose a room in the home before I lost the garden

We use it lots, all year round. But it’s very big and full of animals.

I can’t quite read the tone of your post, OP. You’ve worded it slightly strangely.

My teenagers don't - when they were little and we had a much bigger garden they used it loads. Now it is really only me who uses it a lot as I enjoy gardening now!

Where are you all living where the garden isn’t used in winter?

I’m in SE. This afternoon was 7 degrees and hints of sun.

@Enb76

Mine is 12 - she'd be permanently in the garden if she could. She's out in all weathers. Mind you, we don't have a lot of electronics in the house or other pastimes except reading and we have a climbing tree, a pond and a trampoline.

I think that’s why mine out so much.

No computer games to make an alternative option.
I suspect for my son’s 12th birthday when we get him something to play on, the garden may become less well used.

Until then.... he’s out there every opportunity

@ListeningQuietly

Do YOU use your garden? Are you out there pottering all year? Do you have meals out there? Do you sit and read out there? They will follow your lead.

I do NONE of these things And yet they are out there all the time

Sethy38 here:

Also we have forest within 3 minutes walk, which is more interesting than a garden

Yes. They were out there all summer all day. Two boys ages 4 and 6 so play well together mostly. Chalk roads or games on the patio. Paddling pool when very hot. Sandpit. Ride on toys. Just playing together making up games. I like to garden so they join in with that. I might sit out and read a book while they play. Sometimes join in. But they will happily play together without me. Next doors boy is rarely seen out unless a schoolfriend is over.