How do you (and your teens) use your back yard - seeking suggestions

Couldn’t you put lawn furniture on the grass?

BobMarvin

in Garden 1 day ago

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hotpinksharpie | 2 days ago

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Hi everyone. With summer arriving I’m starting to think about how best to maximize my outdoor space. I have a 2 family brownstone, my family uses the upper unit and we rent the ground floor unit.

Right now the way the outdoor space is configured, we have a deck directly off our kitchen/living space with stairs leading down to the full back yard. Underneath the deck I have a partitioned-off space for the garden apt. It’s their private space separated by a low wall, and we use the open area for our garden. This lower garden has a concrete platform at the stair base leading across the width of the garden, with a grass yard beyond. Hedges and flowering shrubs line one side.

When my daughter was younger she would play out there in the grass with friends but now she’s a teen I’m in a quandary about how to use this space. I don’t currently have any seating in this lower area – if we are going to sit we tend to do so on the upper deck because it’s easily accessible. I’m hesitant to lose my grass because it’s such a great feature, and I love seeing the green, but it’s feeling like a waste these days.
Does anyone have suggestions for what I can do to make my kid want to get off her screens and go out there – either on her own or with a friend. Heck I’d even be ok with her bringing a screen out there if it meant fresh air! At the moment I’m thinking about getting a beach cabana-style daybed where she could go to lounge. I’d lose some grass space but could be a good trade off as a cozy hang out.

I’d love to hear how you’re all using your spaces and maybe I can get some inspiration. Thanks in advance!