Not sure if mint/thyme will hold up to a ton of foot traffic but those aren't terrible choices. Also look at blue star creeper (isotoma) and mazus reptans which are perhaps a bit more durable. Leptinella is also durable.

I would wait a month or so after planting before allowing much foot traffic.

Just looked at Corsican mint and creeping thyme -- both rated as "high traffic." I say go for whatever suits your taste.

Thank you both for your responses! I started looking into the Leptinella, and I do like the looks of it, but what I'm seeing online says it prefers shade. Will it do ok in that much sun? As for water, we hardly ever get restricted up here in northern CA, and I have no problem watering it several times a week if necessary.

Good to know it's too much sun for the mint. Thanks for saving me that headache! As for the thyme, would it attract bees as much as clover? I'd definitely prefer not to attract them at that kind of volume, but a few here and there wouldn't bother me.

It looks like the blue star creeper is highly toxic, so it's a no-go for the dogs. I can't seem to find info on whether the mazus reptans is or not, which makes me think it's not, so it could be a good option. It looks like it needs more water, but as I said, that's not a huge issue. I do like the looks of it, and how quickly it's reputed to spread.

I know the artificial turf is practical, but fake plants just bug me. Even if you can't tell the difference on sight, you can by touch and smell. I haven't totally ruled it out, but it just seems wrong!

Thanks again! Looking more at both suggestions!

I've researched Leptinella quite a bit. It is from New Zealand. Everything I have read suggests it will be fine in full sun as long as it stays reasonably moist. It should stay evergreen year round in your zone, but it doesn't reliably do so in Zone 9. Platt's Black is a very interesting cultivar. You might want to try a small amount to see how it does. I am unsure of its toxicity but I doubt it is non-toxic (the vast majority of plants are toxic if consumed in large amounts). It probably will feel great to walk on, though.

The mint advice is definitely right on -- full sun is a no go.

The thyme I believe has smallish flowers, so in theory they wouldn't be huge bee magnets. I do not have experience with it though, so I would recommend doing some more research on it.

Mazus does need some moisture. Though it prefers some afternoon shade, it would probably (like Leptinella) do okay in full sun if you water vigilantly. I doubt that Mazus is non-toxic.

I know the blue star is reported to be a skin irritant (I've touched it a great deal and never had an issue.) It is also toxic if consumed in large amounts, like most plants but I am not aware of it being particularly toxic (like carolina jessamine where only a flower or two can kill a small child or dog). There are few plants that are truly non-toxic -- mostly true herbs. So, if you are worried, I would go with the thyme. That said, I doubt either your kids or dogs would be able to put away enough blue star or leptinella to cause a problem.

Just saw some creeping thyme in bloom -- it is quite a show so I imagine bees would be an issue. I work with bee-infested plants all the time though and they don't really mess with me. Best of luck with your decision. Post some pics of what the final product looks like.

Ajuga - aka Bugleweed... perhaps.

Leptinella is reliably evergreen (or everblack) even in my zone......not sure where that zone 9 info is originating from :-) Thyme indeed an issue with bees - more so even than clover. Mazus could produce the same sort of activity. No toxicity issues that I am aware of.

Zone 8, not Zone 9. Sorry about that.

It is listed as reliably evergreen to zone 9, though of course not every area that is considered zone 8 gets zone 8 temps every year. Zone 8 is probably on the border for it staying evergreen and there are probably other factors (wind, snow cover, moisture) that affect whether it stays evergreen.

I am in Zone 7 and it is reliably deciduous here.