I can almost guarantee that they tried at one time to dig it out and found it too large to mess with. I would just turn the surrounding area into a small landscaped garden and use the rock as part of the natural garden.

I wouldn't do anything. No need to. If you want to place a bird bath on it with hostas planted around it or large planter on it, ok. But worrying about kids falling on it, ehh, kids can find numerous other ways of scrapping their knees. Can't remove every obstacle in their path.

If you really want it out rent a jackhammer for $80 and break off the top 6 inches.

I'd give it some time and see how that part of your yard evolves re: landscape etc. It might become 'home' for games of tag or hide and go seek. I think kids running around a yard would be more likely to crash into a birdbath or whatever, then hurt themselves on a flat rock. OTOH, if you have a view of it from inside your house and you don't want kids playing there, then it would be nice to have it incorporated into some kind of landscaping. If it's not a focal point from inside or from anywhere you'd spend time outside (like a deck or patio), and if kids don't play in that area, then I think you can just leave it.

Sorry, I would want it removed and the hole filled.

Is this on the side yard where the garage is? How much use will this yard actually get?

it's not a flat gravestone, is it?

Bennyben...the owners could always engrave it with..."here lies ben. He wouldn't do his chores"

Might as well make it a positive thing. I bet the kids think twice before not doing chores!!!

I was thinking a jackhammer also---if you really must remove all natural remnants of nature from your yard.

Can you post a photo of the area from the street view so we can see how wide the side yard is? This will help to see how/if a garden should be incorporated into the rock area or if the rock should be removed completely. Some side yards just don't yell for a garden and in this case, you'd want it to look like it was planned, not just rock being covered up with a garden that doesn't need to be there.

If you are asking whether you should not buy the house because the lot has a rock, the anwer is no. That sounds like someone afraid of buying a house and that's a different issue. You also have a tree, a bush, a driveway and curbs at the street. The grass to driveway and curb transitions are more likely to cause a trip -- seen many kids do it, and they all lived. Many never even stopped running or playing.

I suspect that if there is a rock there after grading and landscaping the lot, it is because it is deep enough that it isn't readily removeable. I'd close, move in and see if it is a problem, and if so, how you want to deal with it. You have been given several suggestions. You could also add some dirt and grass over the top so that there is a gentle swell over it -- the builder might even do that for you, but $10-20 to DIY. Rock or grass, the kids might incorporate it into their pplay -- make that spot "base" or "home" when playing games, their "king of the mountain" spot.

If you are going to own a home, you have to learn to solve problems. As a parent, teach your kids to be observant, thoughtful, creative, resourceful and not fearful. Just MHO.

When I was a kid, I loved the rocks on my parents' property. But then again, we were in New England so no big deal.

I'd let it be, maybe welcome it into the landscape if there is space to garden around it.

I had a rock in my yard that looked a lot like this. We fed it lawnmower blades.

Personally, it looks like a PITA to mow around so I would remove it. But that is just my opinion.

You could bring in a large boulder to put on top of it...flat like that in the middle of the lawn is sort of a PITA.

Kids can manage all kinds of ways to injure themselves, and that unobtrusive rock is probably the least of the threats. My daughter broke her arm while walking on a flat sidewalk and tripping. If that rock was in my yard, my reaction would be: "Ah...some visual interest,"

It looks goofy level(ish) with the lawn like that. It could certainly be integrated into the landscaping but leaving it in the grass? Might be a great starting point for a stepping stone walkway though.

I don't think it's all that dangerous.

The steppingstone sidewalk is a great idea! Make the sidewalk from the driveway around to the back of the house. Surely you can find other similar rocks in your area.