We all really love a family BBQ don’t we? It’s a time when we can get outdoors with everyone, and spend time together, hopefully in the sunshine.
If you are anything like us though, you’ll find that come spring and summer, after the winter chill, there is a fair bit to do with the garden to get it family barbecue ready.
We’ve got 5 tips for you to help make that garden all the better for the barbecues that’ll soon come around this season.
1. Get out the mower
If your garden is anything like ours in the winter – you won’t have mown it because, lets face it, grass doesn’t grow when its cold.
A bit like we don’t go out too much for barbecues when it is cold.
Refresh that garden by grabbing that mower and cutting back the grass so its easy to enjoy your garden. The smell of fresh cut grass is wonderful anyway of course…
2. Grow your own
Why not add a few additional beds to the garden that will allow you to grow your own produce within the barbecue? You can add courgette, peppers, and mange tout to your garden. All of which are worth trying out on the BBQ.
3. Buy some outdoor toys
Outdoor toys to entertain the kids are a must when you are feeding them outside. Make sure they are away from any flames, of course. But there are so many options for outdoors, from the wonderful Little Tikes cars, to Play houses, and even a barbecue playset as well. We loved our outdoor kitchen – and because it was durable, we could leave it outside as well. Hours of playtime fun for the kids.
4. Make sure you have enough tables and chairs
Depending on if it is just you, or the family on their own, likely to chill at your barbecues, you’ll need to make sure you have enough dining furniture in the garden; that fits to your space too. It is wonderful to be able to section of part of the garden as the eating area. However, we know that this might not be practical, depending on your garden space.
We have a family of four, so have made sure we have garden furniture with 4 seats, and then bring out the folded chairs when we have guests. This means we can cater for more, and have a dedicated space that fits with our garden.
5. Grab yourself some shade for the family BBQ
This is a critical part of making sure you are ready for that family BBQ. You’ll need space to shelter from the sun if, as you would hope, it is a scorcher on the day you decide to have your barbecue.
Large parasols are well worth the investment as they can provide more shade. You might also want to consider making sure you have shades for the little ones on their buggies too.
6. Light it up!
If you are planning for an evening barbecue, a bit of ambient lighting can do wonders for the atmosphere in your garden. Why not see whether there are any light pedestals that you can add to the walls in your garden. There are plenty available now which are charged through the mains, so you can take them outside as you need them. A lot of these lights change colour too.
You may also want to add lighting to your garden. One option to consider here are solar powered lights. There are a number available on the market which fix into the soil in your flower beds, and these can give your garden a lovely magical feel to it.
7. Make sure your fencing is secure
Kids get into everything! You may have already thought about this, but do double check that the fence has suffered any damage over the winter in high winds. You don’t want pets or children escaping while you are cooking your burgers.
Even if the fence is secure, it is worth refreshing from time to time as older fence panels can look old and tired, and only take a little paint or replacement to freshen up.
8. Add a touch of heat
If you are living in the UK, or a slightly colder climate, you might want to think about adding some outdoor heating too. There are some wonderful heating options for garden dining now, so take a look and buy heating that is suitable.
Do bear in mind little fingers though, so you will want whatever you get to be safe for little hands, with safety grills, and out of reach.
9. Don’t forget ALL the senses!
When we create our gardens, we can focus on what we see a lot more than what we smell. So do add extra hanging baskets to the house, and garden, but don’t forget to consider smell when you host your barbecue. Why not add lavender or rosemary to the garden, or at least on the tables for an added delicate touch?
Do make sure you don’t overdo it though, as some herbs can be overpowering. Subtle is best.
And finally, nothing to do with the garden, but just as important….
10. Practise your family BBQ skills in the kitchen with the kids
It pays to practise. This applies to barbecuing just as much as anything else. If you are trying out new recipes, give them a go in the kitchen first with the kids; just so you know where things might go wrong.
This is a great opportunity to help older children to learn the recipes, so that they might even be able to assist at the barbecue when you make them for real.
We do hope that you like this article, do check out some of the other garden related posts on the site:
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If you need to start by being able to get your kids into the garden first, this post on 60+ awesome outdoor activities for kids post is for you.
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Helen
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Helen Neale
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, website editor and a qualified counsellor with experience of working with both children and adults.She is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists, with her own private practise. She also freelances with her local Mind organisation.Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, use those grey cells at the same time, and supplement her counselling income.KiddyCharts has reach of over 680k across socials and the site. The site works with big family brands to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. She is a specialist counsellor for neurodivergent individuals and brings this expertise to her resources and the site. She is also an ADHDer herself.KiddyCharts gives 51%+ profits to charities, focused on supporting mental health and a community in TanzaniaHelen has also worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!