Advice please - garden surface for young children

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We are planning to redo the rear garden. We live in a hilly area, so previous design has divided the garden into 3 sections due to elevation of the ground. 1) We plan to pave the front section right in front of the rear of the house so that we can sit down as a family to enjoy a barbecue in summer. 2) The middle section was done last year - we simply removed some low trees/bushes and laid grass. 3) Now the part in question is the far back section which is the longest (narrow though). It needs to be redone as it has been neglected by us for many years. The ground has roots of weeds and some grass with some dead bushes/low trees on the sides.

I can't make up my mind if I want to lay grass again and plant some flowers around or to pave at least half in the middle. I'm inclined to pave it mostly so that the kids can play freely without worrying about damaging the lawn (like the middle section). Obviously, if mostly paved, it would require less maintenance too. blush But DH seems to think it's natural that kids play on grassy area. I just can't imagine when they do water play or paint outside, how messy the grass would become. (The front section is the smallest area. So even it's paved, the kids might still want to venture to other area for messy play.)

Any advice please?

Surely they are more likely to get injured on a slabbed area?

How old are the kids? Have you thought about an orchard or similar? Somewhere they can learn, experience, play etc? Lots of creepy crawlies. Or a meadow type garden with a path in the middle, again lots of bugs, birds, learning about nature, a chill out space in summer, flower picking.

If on you get side you could pebble it over and use it for messy play, sand, mud, experimenting where you dont care what state it gets in!!!

*should say if on the younger side

Grass or a meadow

I'd do a meadow with trees and bug farms and bird feeders.

Messy play will be near the house.

Veg patch?

Where does the sun catch?

Water will just drain away from the grass? How ‘messy’ can it get?

My DCs played, ran about, cycled, played football, painted, bubbles, water play, sand pit, snow men etc for years and never made a mess of the lawn. Admittedly it's not Wimbledon standards but even so.

I wouldn't have more paving. I'd be worried about injuries. Also if they use it for tennis, basketball etc a ball bouncing on a hard surface will go much further - how well do you get on with the neighbours?!

Grass and planting to help absorb rainfall. If it's paved the rain can't soak away so it will just run over the paving and down the hill towards the next section of the garden which then gets sodden.

Thanks to everyone for the wisdom. Some really good points!