Two different issues here.

Don’t move for more space/outdoors after kids are in middle school. It’s wasted on older kids, who want walkability to school, friends, shooing, etc. And that’s more likely in a TH.

Kids will consider Home anywhere they go to even middle school, so it’s not too late for the sake of memories.

A friend just retired to Hawaii and took older teenagers with them. Kids will come wherever the housing is free

It's never too late. We renovated and expanded our small old house when my oldest kid was in HS. Totally worth it to have the extra space. He's now in college and it's great to have a guest room for when his friends come to visit.

If the oldest is in middle school, not too late. I would do it before HS.

OP, I feel you. I feel the same way. We’re considering a bigger house and I feel like we have to do it soon for it to be “worth” it. Maybe by K.

I wouldn’t get a bigger place if kids are going into high school / late middle school. At that point you are on the quick down ward slide to being an empty nest.

A small house is nice with little ones as its easier to keep track of them

Why is everyone trying to tell OP what she should want? That always drive me nuts about DCUM posters. We're all trying to give our children a childhood reflective of what we want most for them, even though that varies greatly from family to family.

OP, we moved into our house when one of my children was 11 and the other was just turning 5. Both of them consider it home, full of memories. The older one comes home from college and can't wait to sleep in his own bed surrounded by memorabilia from his childhood. And in a neighborhood with friends he knew in middle and high school. The younger obviously has few memories that weren't made while growing up here. It's not at all too late to buy a larger home.

Around 10 kids stop playing outside.

But you really do sound crazy. I love my sfh but I don’t really see the yard as a huge benefit. The basement playroom is what we love and the ability to host all holidays.

It’s never too late per se, but we decided to settle with what we could afford when oldest was going to K and stay put. We have a yard but my kids rarely play in it. They played outside in the (not busy) road.

No one can replicate their own childhood. Just rejoice in what they have.

Do not stress about this. Kids need a loving home. Sounds like you are providing that.

I raised my kids in a townhouse with a private ground-level deck (sand table) and a common green aisle with trees between rows of townhouse backyards. Used the aisle for unserious kid soccer, occasional snowmen, toddler sledding and playing camping under a tree.

We used the big park two blocks away for swings, slides, climbing gym.

My kids were in aftercare at their elementary every school day. That included playing on the playground.

I don't feel like my kids missed out on outdoor creative play compared to me. However, they don't know how to garden or do yard work.

I moved from California to MoCo for 7th grade. Based on my experience and my kids' patterns, backyard play is an elementary school pastime for kids who are home after school and on weekends. And have neighborhood friends.

You should likely move by Kindergarten. Or maybe not bother if you have walkable local amenities. Otherwise you may waste your money.

OMG. Listen to yourself. You sound crazy. Kids can have a great childhood without having a huge house in the suburbs.

We have a 1 year old and want 1-2 more kids but live in a townhouse because that’s all we can afford right now. I really, really want to give my children the experience that I had as a kid of having a yard to play in and more space to run around. I believe we can purchase a single family house somewhere between 3 and 10 years from now depending on multiple factors that are hard to predict. But I’m afraid if we stretch it out too long then our kids will already have missed out on the opportunity to build memories in a nicer/larger space. If we wait 10 years our oldest will be in middle school.