Kids Design Their Dream Backyard

Kids have the brightest imaginations and very strong feelings about the things they love. This made us realize that children are ideal for the task of injecting some life and fun into the design of tired-looking outdoor spaces.

So, we asked some kids from around the world to design their dream backyard. Then we brought these designs to life in this series of CG renders.

Ukraine - Viola (10)

Viola was very clear about what kind of tree she needed to build her treehouse, an ancient oak with leaves that turn into butterflies. Her treehouse is always comfortable and safe, and there is a magic closet, of course. The perfect place to have a tea party with her friends.

Check out the maze and ropeway that Viola has designed. She has also designed a beautiful hill, swing, and even a small fountain. At noon she and her friends will play chess and tell each other tales; sounds like the perfect evening.

Argentina - Dante (4)

Dante‘s backyard is basically one huge forest with a river connecting the treehouse and the family house. Dante says he will drive a boat from one point to the other and catch fish with his hands along the way. There is also a parking space for an alien spaceship and Dante’s rocket.

There are lots of colored balls in the backyard so Dante can play soccer and basketball. A family of friendly racoons lives in the caves underground, and they are the guardians of these colored balls. Can you spot the robot workshop? If you’re struggling, it‘s in the treehouse, next to the giant Smurf heads.

USA - Natalia (6)

Natalia‘s dream treehouse is very high off the ground, and the roof has Christmas tree lights all over it. A magical river flows underneath. There is a diving board, a water slide, and mermaids live there. Natalia would spend her days riding her pet unicorn, Lyria.

There is a flower garden with butterflies, and the backyard is home to doves and toucans. The toucans are playing berry catch and Natalia‘s friends, Aria Ann and Fluttershy, are hanging out, speaking to all of the animals.

Philippines - Rafael (5)

There’s no treehouse here, but Rafael has added a playhouse to his design instead. He has specified that the playhouse should be as big as his grandmother’s house (which is about 100 sqm). Rafael wants to spend lots of playtime in his dream backyard, playing hide and seek or board games.

Aside from his parents and three older brothers, Rafael would invite his friends, China and Shantelle, to come and play with him in his dream backyard. Check out the red slide, swings, and monkey bars. The backyard is truly a space where they can let loose and have some fun.

England - Harry (10)

Harry has included his dream treehouse, and it’s perfect for him. It contains a TV, a bed, and an all -important box of toys. So, pretty much everything he needs. From the treehouse, he would launch toy cars onto the track which goes all around the garden.

There is a pond full of wildlife in the backyard, including frogs and newts. The pond leads into a river which circles the backyard and has several bridges over it for cars. There is a boat and a shelter in the garden where you can watch wildlife like foxes and badgers.

Greece - Ilias (8)

Ilias tells us he would like to have a squirrel around the garden as a friend. We agree that squirrels make excellent garden friends. His other friends are also welcome to sleep overnight and stay there to play the next day as well.

There is plenty for Ilias and his friends to do here: a swimming pool, a climbing wall, two swings, a sunbed, a bicycle, and a hammock for chilling. We‘re sure Ilias and his friends will never be bored in this backyard.

Whether it‘s interiors or outdoor spaces, we think that kids are the most imaginative designers. So, next time you want to breathe some life into your backyard, there’s no need to hire a landscape architect, just provide a kid with some crayons and a piece of paper and see what they come up with. You won‘t regret it.

Methodology

To find our participants, we put a casting call out for children aged 4 - 10 years old. We chose children from a diverse set of countries and asked them a series of questions about their dream backyards.  We then asked them to draw their dream backyard and include a treehouse; we didn‘t impose any further instructions to give the kids the freedom to explore their wild imaginations.