The primary problem with the lack of grass in a high traffic area is that of soil compaction, not in the failure of the turf. Think about it....sports fields (golf courses, football, baseball, soccer, etc.) are always expected to have good turf, right? Those sites are built so that the soil cannot compact AND/OR they are core aerated frequently.

Even luscious sod won't live for very long if the soil is compacted. Plants need oxygen at the roots just as much as they need water.

I've heard that 'Mondo grass' grows well for high traffic (I could be wrong), or you could try a nice groundcover such as lemon-scented Thyme (you'll need quite a few of these to cover a large area) and trust me, the kids will love walking over it, cause it releases a yummy lemon fragrance. Also, certain mosses work well, depending on what you like... don't know if that's any help.

I had that problem when we moved in into this previous used house, a hight traffic area were everyone cuts to get to the front door its was awfull, we tried seeds no result, bcs people kept walking over it, after a year I decided just to water the bear part in the mornings or evenings when I knew people weren't coming, and slightly sprinkle the rest, I also pulled some of the grown grass from other parts of the lawn and planted a few pices, well that worked for me and that still a traffic area, but I keep watering more the path than the other part of the lawn, and my neighbor accross the st told me the people that reside here before could never get the grass to grow, since I live in a budget that worked for me, hopefully I gv you an idea on what to do now if you have the money I seen on tv theres some kind of grass that even grows on cement good luck to you.

TTTF, Turf Type Tall fescue is probably your best bet for the conditions that you described, but it still needs protection while getting established.