What kind of a small garden? And how big is "small"?

It would be good if you return to the same spot where the picture was taken, aim the camera left and then right, and add the pictures of the views toward the side. (Please don't pick a new location to photograph from, or the pictures cannot be linked back together.)

What direction does the back of your house face?

What benefits do you expect to harvest from making changes to the current landscape?

@yardvaark here’s additional photos from Left, middle, and right . (The whole thing couldn’t fit in the photo)
I want to plant tomatoes, pepper mostly.

I want something relaxing and kid (7-12 age range) friendly. But need pointers. Thank you.

You could begin with some solar lights at each corner of the yard. They could be added directly to the fence posts or added to treated boards attached to the posts.

Do you want a flower garden or a veggie garden or both?

Adding metal hanging brackets to any'/all of the fence posts would enable you to add baskets of flowers or strawberry plants or herbs and spices and/or vine tomato plants or other veggie plants without planting anything against the fence that would require digging near the fence (potentially loosening the fence posts) or that might hold moisture at the fence that could decrease the life span of the fence -- and yet still soften the look of the fence with greenery.

You could also invest in some 4"x4" treated posts and add solar lighting and/or hanging brackets for hanging baskets for flowers or bird feeders or bird houses or even holiday decorations.

If you cut any 8' post to 6' (to make them more practical) and as long as you keep each one balanced (same weight hanging pots on each side), you can make these portable Instead of putting them in holes in the ground fixed in one position. In January, thrift stores likely will have large plastic holiday tree stands cheap that can hold 4"x4" posts. You can drill a few holes in the bottom and use the stand to hold your post. Or, you could create a stand for your post by adding four 16" 2"x4" boards, one facing each direction, to the bottom of the post.

You have a slope in your yard, You could create a nearly level place at the bottom of the slope adjacent to your fence for your playground equipment (swings for both children and adults would be my priority) by adding a short knee wall across at least part of it to create an upper and lower terrace to make a distinction between the slope and the level area -- a knee wall just high enough that it could also be used as seating. Such a level place could be used for horseshoes or volleyball or badminton or croquet or ring toss, etc. Any dirt you dig out below the location of any knee wall could be tossed above it to level another place just above the knee wall for a veggie garden if you have a level room for your picnic table and chairs adjacent to your house.

https://www.google.com/search?q=small+short+terrace+walls+in+back+yard&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiPodmPtKzmAhUDhuAKHb5gBUsQ_AUoAXoECA4QAw&biw=1328&bih=617#spf=1576026477049 

You could keep the slopes on the sides of the yard adjacent to the fence rather than disturb the fence posts -- and, if it snows, for a slide or, in summer, for a summer water slide.

https://www.google.com/search?q=images+backyard+summer+water+slide+on+slope&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjdyc7UtKzmAhUxU98KHYnVBsIQsAR6BAgKEAE&biw=1328&bih=617#imgrc=eK3LWKHahl2VcM:&spf=1576026621516

How much nearly level space you have adjacent to your home for your patio for your backyard BBQ grill or do you need to use part of the sloped or lower more level area adjacent to the fence for that?.

Whatever you do, don't "crowd" the back yard and create a cluttered look.

Wait until you've experienced at least most of one summer using the yard before building any structures for shelter from the elements (sun/rain) such as gazebo or pergola. Pay attention to where you need shade and to what parts of the yard you want to use for what purpose.

A swing or two that could be used by adults or children and arranged to create a "conversation" space could be useful. Free standing units can be bought and are well worth considering, especially if DIY building one isn't preferable.

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1328&bih=617&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=-0HwXesar9bmAuymvvAE&q=images+backyard+swings+adults+can+use&oq=images+backyard+swings+adults+can+use&gs_l=img.3...369893.375434..376278...4.0..0.353.2579.21j2j2j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0j0i8i30.YbHMPEKEl90&ved=0ahUKEwirhKHWtKzmAhUvq1kKHWyTD04Q4dUDCAY&uact=5#imgrc=5jhGYARytjUTHM:&spf=1576027000309

Your yard is wide and deep enough that you might consider creating several small knee walls for well spaced nearly level areas for different purposes but, other than that one main one near the fence, experience using the yard first, creating one permanent/semi-permanent feature at a time, before you make those decisions.

You won't want to place a garden (veggie?) too near trees or on the north side of them. What direction does the back of house face? Some people prefer to hide or segregate their gardens from the larger yard, and some people prefer to make them somewhat decorative and let them be seen from the key viewpoints. Consider if you'll want to use the yard for any specific purposes in addition to gardening ... games or whatever. You'd need to figure that out prior to designing the yard.

Once you have a good handle on uses, you'll want to start laying things out. You'll probably want a variety of tree forms, some large and some small. Determine the largest-trees locations first, taking into account the garden location (BTW, how big is it?) More than likely, most of the trees will go near the perimeter. Large shade trees might be a little farther away from the perimeter. You don't need to screen the forest backdrop, but you could front it with smaller flowering trees. There could be a couple of shade trees more or less flanking the yard, placed about midway along its length, and some small tree forms (12'-15'-ish) along the fence. You'll probably want some tall, skinny screening at the side lot lines flanking the patio space, for privacy. I'm speculating that you'll want to enclose the trees, as much as possible, in a bed in order to make maintenance (mowing) easier ... and to give your yard some oomph, as opposed to it all being flat lawn. The bed could be as simple as uniform groundcover. Or, it could be subdivided with groups of various plant types for added interest. Keep in mind that the more complex you make it, the more work it will require in order to take care of it.

Since the yard has some size to it, and you're trying to deal with the organization, you'll need to get your ideas into plan form in order to understand them and make sure they work. You probably have a survey of the yard in the builders or closing documents, that you can use to create a landscape base plan (the starting point.)

I would not bother thinking about any small plants until you get the garden size and location established, a scheme for trees, and the bedline placed on the plan. At that point, you'd be able to see what there is room for and where it might go.

There are over 116,000 backyard photos on Houzz here: https://www.houzz.com/photos/backyard-landscaping-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_728~a_38-251

You can filter under "specialty" for a vegetable garden. Start by saving the ones you like to a backyard ideabook.

Thank you all. Not sure what direction the back of the house face, will use a compass when I get home. But it gets a good amount of sun shine (if that helps) A lot of great ideas. Could you include a picture of what these look like? Am having a hard time visualizing it. Thank you.

I think it will be hard for this thread to make progress. If suggestions include doing this or that, you need to respond as to which way you want to go. When asked how big is the garden, you need to respond with a size. When asked what activities children will use the yard for, you need to state what the activities are, even if it is just examples. I mentioned the need for a plan view, but there was no reply about it. 90% of the landscape designer's work is done in that view because it's the view that best explains what's there or will be there.

This drawing is no more than a vague suggestion of perimeter planting and keeping the central area devoted to turf -- with no idea as to where the garden should go, or what size it would be. There's lots about it that could be misleading so take everything with a grain of salt. The end is a backdrop to the forest with taller plants at the corners. The yellow things are shade tree canopies. At the picture left and right edges are tall screening shrubs.

Put the vegetables near the house rather than in a far back corner as that is a lot more convenient especially when in the midst of cooking.