Parents are all too well aware of the need to try and keep their children healthy, and one of the best ways to do that is to make sure they get plenty of exercise.

But it's not always easy: speeding traffic, even on residential estates, means many people are reluctant to simply let their youngsters go off and find their own amusements in the neighbourhood, or even visit the local park on their own. if you feel happier keeping your youngsters within sight and earshot for safety, then the answer is to provide them with play opportunities in your garden.

A family garden has to play several roles: exciting enough and with enough open space, usually lawn, for the children to enjoy themselves, while being pleasant enough for the adults to enjoy as well as being low enough maintenance for them to relax in rather than spending every free hour catching up on the chores.

One of the best ways to make sure the kids enjoy the garden while providing them with their own space and stopping them turning your carefully-created rockery into a den, is to provide some outdoor play equipment. These days there are dozens of manufacturers producing outdoor play gear which comes in all shapes and sizes, to suit all types of garden.

A swing is always a favourite: but unless it is designed as a piece of climbing apparatus it can be dangerous if your children start to turn it into part of a den, or a tree in Tarzan's forest. If you have a small garden a swing can take up so much room there is no space for any other sort of play.

A piece of play equipment, whether made of wood or metal, can be used for many different games by all age groups. Older youngsters will swarm all over it and probably develop their gymnastic skills. Younger ones may play underneath it at first, making dens and forts in the base, and as they get older will get the confidence and skill to climb.

Outdoor play equipment can be quite costly: look at buying a piece as a joint present to your children, or ask family to chip in and make it a present from everyone. Think about the extra value of what you are buying: spending money on outdoor toys, rather than the latest plug-in TV games console, is far healthier and more educational. If yours is an only child, look upon it as an investment in making friends: an invitation to come and play at my house' has much more attraction if there is a garden toy like a castle fort on offer.

If you provide youngsters with their own garden play area, you can then go ahead and create an adult area as well, perhaps screening it off from the children by willow or bamboo fencing for privacy for both age groups. A sun-trap patio, perhaps with a mini water feature, can be a good way of making sure everyone in the family can enjoy the garden.