Creating an outdoor space that your kids will love, and that you’ll feel good about, isn’t just possible, it’s smart. With a thoughtful landscape design, you can have a backyard that encourages imagination, burns energy, and still looks great for entertaining.
Why Should You Design Your Landscape with Kids in Mind?
Because the backyard can be more than a lawn. It’s a playground, classroom, and safe haven.
Children need space to explore, play, and grow. A kid-friendly landscape combines fun with function, allowing your backyard to become a daily adventure that also evolves with your family’s needs. And in Iowa, where we treasure the outdoors during spring, summer, and fall, it just makes sense to maximize your yard’s potential.
What Makes a Landscape Safe for Children?
Safety starts with surfaces, sightlines, and smart design choices.
Kid-friendly landscapes should prioritize:
- Smooth, trip-resistant surfaces like turf or rubber mulch
- Rounded corners and soft edges on walls or hardscaping
- Clear visibility from the home or patio to all play areas
- Non-toxic plants that are safe for curious little ones
- Fenced-in spaces to create peace of mind near streets or water features
At Tebock’s, we’ve helped families in Johnston, Ankeny, and all over Central Iowa design backyards where safety and style go hand in hand.
Which Features Make a Backyard Fun for Kids?
Add elements that spark imagination and invite activity.
Here are a few backyard upgrades that bring the fun:
- Artificial turf – Soft, durable, and low-maintenance for sports or cartwheels
- Natural stone steppers – Create fun “paths” for pretend play
- Built-in sandbox or gravel pit – Easy to integrate into a raised bed or shaded corner
- Small-scale climbing walls or log balance beams
- Water play features like bubblers or safe fountains for sensory fun
- Mini garden beds for budding green thumbs to dig and grow
Let your kids help pick some of the features—they’ll feel ownership, and you’ll get insight into how they play.
Can a Kid-Friendly Yard Still Look Grown-Up and Beautiful?
Yes, and we make sure it does.
Your outdoor space should serve the whole family. With professional landscape design, we can blend playful areas into your existing layout using high-quality materials, tasteful plantings, and integrated features. For example, raised beds can double as natural barriers, while a seating wall around a sandbox gives grown-ups a place to relax nearby.
It’s all about balance, and we know how to strike it.
What Plants Work Well in a Family-Focused Landscape?
Think durable, non-toxic, and low-maintenance.
In Central Iowa, these kid-friendly plants thrive:
- Coneflowers – Colorful, tough, and butterfly-friendly
- Daylilies – Hardy perennials with soft, strappy foliage
- Little Bluestem – Native grass that’s safe and sways in the breeze
- Coralbells – Compact and vibrant with unique leaves
- Sugar Maple or Serviceberry trees – Great shade and visual interest
We also recommend using mulch instead of sharp-edged rocks in kid zones, and always double-check plant toxicity if pets or toddlers are roaming.
How Can Tebock’s Landscape Help?
We turn creative ideas into safe, fun, and lasting landscapes.
Whether you’re in Johnston, Waukee, or Des Moines, our team will work with you to design a landscape that grows with your family. We install everything from paver patios and retaining walls to artificial turf and landscape lighting, with the craftsmanship and personal attention your home deserves.
📍 Serving families across Central Iowa
📞 515-809-0690
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Let’s design a backyard your kids will remember, and you’ll be proud of.