Unleashed dogs and kids aren't too likely to stick to a path. What's it made of and how old are your kids? You've got space back there for a killer playhouse or swingset. Your trees might be good for a zipline kit, hard to tell.

Where are you located - i.e. what is your climate/growing conditions? What is the age, sex, and activity-level of both the kids and dog? What breed is the dog?

I posted on here from my iPad with questions re garden location, age of kids and dog, dog breed etc. It shows when I look at this forum on my iPad, but not when I look at it from my desktop....! GRRR...!

Kids are 12 & 10. 2 dogs. ” paths” for dogs are spaces for them to explore around/ behind bushes. i put a crushed gravel path for the kids to ride bikes but they tire out of it quick. cant find play structures that arent for 8yr olds.

And what's the breed, age and activity level of the dog(s)? Our backyard garden was planned and created with dogs in mind....

Dirt trails are always more fun than gravel for bikes and doggies. have kids help you build a fort, a secret garden, a digging pit, be sure to leave lots of places for hide and seek, and a swing, what a great yard!

Dogs are both rescues.. We think lab/husky & lab/bully. We cant do "dirt paths" because how dusty our soil gets. You will literally choke on it from walking. Its really annoying. Lol

We need to add bushes/shrubs for "hiding spots" and areas like Rawketgirl said but I dont know what or where.. This was ALL blackberries when we bought the house and I think my brain is now fried from the previous work!🥓

We don't have either kids or grandkids but do have/had experience with several different breeds of dogs (either our own dogs or dogs we dog-sit for friends and family). It looks like your kids are beyond/almost beyond the need for play structures so you can focus on the needs of the dogs. What we learned about dogs and creating a garden space that meets their needs include:

- dogs like/need to patrol their territory boundaries - so put paths along the fence/property lines or the dogs will put them there themselves! We have found that dogs generally 'follow the path of least resistance' so don't usually invade garden spaces - but if they do, you likely need to make a path through the bed because it is in the way of their desired travel route!

- dogs like to survey their territory from an elevated position - so make sure they have one! A deck or porch works fine; if there isn't one, a large/high flat rock would work as a substitute.

- dog pee can cause fertilizer burns in the grass because the pee is effectively high-nitrogen fertilizer. To minimize damage, promptly 'flood' the spot with water to dilute the nitrogen to a beneficial level rather than one that causes burns. Also, if the dogs eat dry kibble, add water to it to ensure the dog is getting a good supply of water so the urine is dilute, not concentrated - but then make sure the dog gets to go outdoors regularly to ensure no accidents in the house!

The paths we made are just bare soil (which is heavy clay here) with a topping of shredded bark mulch. In areas with drainage needs there is crushed gravel under the mulch. The paths are only 30-36" wide, which is functional for both the dogs and the people.

Some pictures from various years/times of year of the backyard garden - and dogs - here:

The overall plan (the red Xs are where trees were removed)

The same sort of view with a light dusting of snow highlighting the paths:

collie racing :-)

High 'ground' that provides a survey point of view:

The overall space in summer:

I didn’t see your last post before I posted pictures...

Do you have a copy of the survey of the property...? (There would likely have been one with the sale documents when you bought the place if you haven’t done a survey yourself, or a municipal/county department might have one from the original builng of the house....) If so, use that as a starting point for planning. That’s what I did! Mark on a copy of it all trees, shrubs, and structures that you plan to keep and then play around with places for people’s use, possible paths etc. until you have something that pleases you. It’s much easier to do this on paper before doing the work on the ground!

What knd of gravel did you use on the path you made? Something that packs down well (e.g. ’screenings’) is going to be easier for all users than something that is loose and shifts underfoot.

All of the dogs that we have had and many we’ve dog-sat were ‘rescues’ of some sort, often with temperment issues, so I know what the challenges can be - and how happy the dogs can be once they settle into a place where they feel comfortable. It looks like you have a place that can be a happy dog place!

I think ask the kids what they think . IMO they are at the age where most of the play structures will very quickly be outgrown. Whatever you put there IMO should be removeable when no longer wanted. As for the dogs IMO a must is a material easy to clean up after them so no ground cover . Our dogs like pea gravel in their dog run it keeps their claws honed down and makes finding the poop easy. Friends of ours trained their dogs to go in an area of gravel in their back yard. We have a dog run quite large where the dogs have access with a doggie door all the time except at night . We find that works well for us and the dogs. I think kids that age will find biking on a path in the yard pretty much boring . It hink maybe just a really nice outdoor area for the whole family I see a fire pit maybe a nice pond where the wet area is . Maybe get some pro help to make this a great space for a long time

lots of great ideas! i second the trampoline. my grandson loves the one i have even though i actually got it (best $25 i've spent in a long time - local swap shop) for my young dane. she plays on it and often flops down for an afternoon nap. i buried the frame to make it lower for easy access.

Open grass in the center (with shade in each corners ) could provide your family with a lot of OPTIONS such as croquet, badminton, horseshoes, croquet, ring toss, catch, jump rope and a lot more less traditional games as well. More options -- less bordom -- better memories.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/best-backyard-games-you-can-buy/

https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-outdoor-games.html

In the shady corners or along the sides consider porch swings perhaps hung beneath arbors.

A pair of them at right angles can create a conversation area and a safe place for teens and pre-teens to have friends visit and have privacy for their conversations but also be seen from a window. Yeah, with the children at 10 & 12 now, you have that to look forward to in the next few years.

In a relatively small backyard, a trampoline could take up a lot of space and limit other activity but there are small exercise trampolines that can be worth considering especially if you have a slope where you can create a lower than ground level place beneath them .

A bird bath set away from the house can bring in visual entertainment as can a bird bath.

Brackets on the fence posts could be used for hanging baskets for a garden of strawberries or cherry tomatoes, etc.

Don't do a lot of expensive flower landscaping in the back yard (away from the house) so none of you need to worry about them being damaged while distracted and having fun.

The trails are waaaay to short for bikes. Maybe a go cart? 10 & 12 yr olds can ride bike on the street. Tweens don't tend to "play" they hang out. Have you considered an above ground pool? Hammocks are all the rage. A skate board challenge park would get more use than a fort.

Lot of good advice above -- especially keeping in mind the changing habits of kids that age, and dogs wanting to patrol the edges of their domain. Looks like you have a great yard to work with.

I garden with dogs. My most recent pup is a two year old lab, and her two year old aussie friend lives next door. The pair of them are no worse than a herd of buffaloes as they chase each other full speed around the yard. I have two methods to protect vegetation. One is, surround delicate individual shrubs or small areas with a loop of fence. A two-foot green-coated garden wire held by a green metal fence stake blends in well, and though the dogs could jump in, they don't bother because it's small and occupied by greenery. Second is, set "baffles" amongst larger beds -- meaning, a short run of fence perpendicular to a border fence, so the dogs can't zoom a straight path through the bed. They still have access, but when they're walking/sniffing, not zooming or wrestling, they're not overly destructive.