Our yard is just under a quarter of an acre. My elementary son is an outside kid and he is out there playing daily. It saved us during the early quarantine days and I love that he can be out there playing in the fresh air and I can see him through the window. He plays out there with friends, DH and I play with him. It has been the best ever. I also really enjoyed having the ability to entertain outside during this time, which we didn't do a ton of before, and we won't go back to primarily indoor entertaining ever. Backyard BBQs are our favorite.

We don't mind the heat, we have a fire pit and patio heater for when it is cold. the only months that are too cold to be outside at all are January, Feb and March. We have trees and umbrellas for shade and use a baby pool and, sprinkler and slip n slide in the summer.

Agree with posters above. Our yard was the reason that we bought the house. We're outside all the time - when it's not raining. The yard is what literally saved us during quarantine. As kids get older and play mores sports (soccer, eg) yard gets used with considerably more frequency. We also host all parties and friends in the yard.

We moved from a townhouse with a small yard and used it often.
Then we moved to a house with an acre lot and barely use it.

The kids were younger in the townhouse, but once they hit around 6 or 7, the yard became obsolete and only used it maybe 3-5 times a year. That and like someone else mentioned, DMV weather is either too hot or too cold and it became a pain in the ass to maintain.

Honestly, we prefer the townhouse yard. It was just enough for us. Now I hate my weekends during lawn work.

We have a large yard and use it daily in three seasons. We often spend hours outside, which would be hard to do with no yard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They're out there all. the. time. We have an awesome playset, sandbox and other backyard toys. Once it's warmer we'll break out the sprinkler and kiddie pool. It's like adding an extra 2k sq feet to our house.

No mosquitos?

NP, but while we don't live near water the mosquitos certainly still exist to be sure. We just spray on some bug spray, light some citronella, and deal.

OP, we have a small yard (though enough room for some hardscaping and landscaping, along with outdoor games when the mood strikes, so not teeny.) and we are out there every night it is not completely frigid. I couldn't live without it, but I think it really comes down to just a matter of how much you like being outside.

Anonymous wrote:We live in DC and have a very tiny yard but we use it every day this time of year before the mosquitos get bad. We have a 2 and 5 yr old who both love to be outside. We have a covered porch and can play there on rainy days. There are playgrounds nearby but nothing beats the convenience of just opening your front door.

We have a 3 and 5 year old, and feel the same. We have a playground nearby but sometimes you just want to open the door and sit on your porch/deck while the kids play. That said the mosquitos can get so bad over the summer that we don't use it extensively enough to weigh over other things that you might want in a house/neighborhood.

We have a gorgeous yard and three girls age 5, 10, and 13. While they occasionally kick the soccer ball around, the thing they use almost every day is the springfree trampoline. Sometimes even in the rain, they go out and jump. So from our perspective, any yard big enough for a trampoline would probably be enough!

We live in DC and have a very tiny yard but we use it every day this time of year before the mosquitos get bad. We have a 2 and 5 yr old who both love to be outside. We have a covered porch and can play there on rainy days. There are playgrounds nearby but nothing beats the convenience of just opening your front door.

Funny how different the responses are! Might just be one of those things that really depends on how your kids turn out, how sensitive your family is to mosquitoes, and whether you like to do yard work.

We have a small yard with a townhouse. We would use it more — but we have SO MANY mosquitos. I'd recommend asking neighbors of the house how bad they are where you are looking. Our kids use the playground nearby all the time.

Anonymous wrote:considering making an offer on a house with a VERY small yard and have two young kids (toddler and baby). how much will we miss not having a big yard for them to run around it? fwiw, lots of parks nearby.

We barely use our yard. We do use our small deck for meals on nice days, but barely use the yard. The kids prefer the big and nice park down the block and exploring the forest down the street. The yard is just a time and money drain. Wish we'd just have bought on a smaller lot closer to stores and restaurants.

Every single day when weather permits. We have so many different things to play with in the yard (basketball, baseball gear, soccer gear, badminton, sprinkler, slip n slide, zip line, treehouse, slack line, yard games, big wheels……) They have a set limit on their devices and then out they go.

Anonymous wrote:They're out there all. the. time. We have an awesome playset, sandbox and other backyard toys. Once it's warmer we'll break out the sprinkler and kiddie pool. It's like adding an extra 2k sq feet to our house.

No mosquitos?

Everyday, all the time. Moved in when they were 2 and 3, now are 13 and 14. Sports, garden, projects, parties...all the time and always. We also live in a really social neighborhood and neighbors (kids and adults) are always dropping in to socialize, play, etc.

Aaaaaaaaallllllllll the time. Multiple times a day. We are across the street from a decent park, but I love having a safe fun fenced in back yard where my kid can run in and out all day. We probably spent 5+ hours in the yard today. Kid is 6 and often spends an hour outside before heading to school, and another hour or so after school when the neighbor kids are outside. Never thought we’d have a kid, bought the house when we had a dog and it was a good dog yard. So glad we have it.