Wait a year before major changes--see how the area works with all the concrete.

1. Buy a large outdoor area rug to put under the roofed area to cover up some of the weird concrete lines, add seating, grill, fire pit etc.

2. Add low spreading flowering annuals in the larger cutout areas that have several bushes in them. (You might want to remove single bushes in small cutout areas. I can see a larger island of plant material but I wouldn't want the here and there single things.)

3. Figure where you might want to locate child friendly play areas depending on age of the child--wading pool, sand box, playhouse, basketball goal, trampoline etc.

Are those concrete pavers? Can you take a few up with a crow bar?

Looks like a perfect place for riding a tricycle or making chalk art. I wouldn't spend money to take out any of the concrete yet. You will likely have unanticipated expenses inside your home. You have some nice plants in the space. You can gradually add some large planters, or get some pots to grow vegetables. For the area with dead grass, either re-sod or plant low, spreading ground cover like creeping thyme.

Put a couple of chairs out there and enjoy your first year in your home. You keep posting about the outside, I'm assuming the inside is stellar!

You've gotten a lot of good suggestions, I'll add that limbing up the tree in the center, or maybe even removing it, will open up the space.

A project to consider later on when cashflow is better is that artificial turf can be installed on concrete, the trick is to make sure there is proper drainage under it. Not only will it look nice, it will give your little one a soft place to play and roll around and help cool the concrete in the summer months.

Leave the concrete for awhile, put sod or seed where the bare spots in the dirt are. Water well, see what happens.

Hmm not a kid friendly back yard for sure. Running a jack hammer is really not all that impossible and given your concrete is chunked with all the lines I see you could easily start near the grass and see how much you want to break up /remove. You are lucky you will have defined places to stop with no weird chopped edges given the blocking I see. What do you want for your child? I see all these super expensive play sets--and given the lifestyles of most families very little time at home to play on it is available. Back in the day we got away with a LARGE sand box, a swing under a raised deck (sand box was under the deck) and a Little Tyke's large climbing/slide apparatus. The wait a year and see is tough as kids grow fast and they need what they need NOW. If we are talking toddler #1 right now I would be hitting the garage sales and buying every riding toy I could find. We had a fleet of those things and quite a race way in our unfinished basement!! All that cement is premium rolling space. A kiddie pool will fit in one of your grassed areas...optimize what you have!!

Id start by pressure washing the concrete.

Then, in the covered areas, get large outdoor rugs and some patio furniture.

Are you in an area where you’d have to regularly water grass to keep it green?

I don’t know if it would be easy to on,y remove part of the concrete, if those expansion lines do go all the way through the slap, you’ll need to take care not to chip edges.

For now, I’d agree with the idea to leave the concrete in place until you spend some time in the house and figure out how you want to use the space.

You could paint the concrete in the interim to improve the appearance

https://www.thehandmadehome.net/how-to-paint-concrete/

Or add wood over top of it

Congratulations on your new house. What amazing possibilities in this backyard! Think of it as a courtyard with multiple ouydoor rooms that serve different purposes. The beauty is that they reveal themselves as you move around in the space, which keeps everything interesting.

I would not break the concrete, but rather work with it. Do a bit of research and decide on the outdoor rooms/featured you would want in the space. Options would be dining area, lounge area, firepit or fireplace or woodburning pizza oven, outdoor kitchen, playground, climbing wall etc. Use inexpensive or even repurposed accessories to create the athmosphere: lots of lights, potted plants, rugs, outdoor furniture etc. Painting the concrete as someone suggested above is also a great idea.

Here is the concept https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/68743007201/

And some inspiration pics

Dining area

Lounge

Ideas for the kids areas are so fun too: trampoline, zipline, slides, splash pad, water slide etc

All of these ideas can be done on a concrete surface, perhaps using some artificial turf if wanted which will give you the green you like as well:) the beauty is all of these ideas can be built with repurposed household items so on a budget while also spending time and teaching your child about sustainability. Have fun!!

If you decide to DIY, you need to factor in the cost of disposing of the concrete. You will need to rent a dumpster. Do you have room in your driveway for one? Are you allowed to have one dropped in the street? And depending on weight limits, you may need to rent multiple. And you will have to carry or wheelbarrow every last piece out to the dumpster.

This summer, the big challenge will be keeping the big existing plants alive with current drought conditions and water restrictions. Pressure wash the concrete with a rented washer. Then look for a patio set with table and chairs. In my area, stay-home people are buying new patio furniture and practically giving away the old furniture. Look on neighborhood social media for deals or freebies. For fun, add a $20 string of fairy lights along the ceiling of the patio shelter.

The concrete is great for skating and riding bikes, except for that raised area. Ask the sellers why it is raised. There may be a reason such as rock outcrop or even a filled in 1960's bomb shelter.

thanks everyone, so overwhelmed with all the fantastic ideas

I'll see what I can do within my budget but I'll save this thread for inspiration.