Lonicera nitida Baggeson's Gold is very tough and can be clipped to the height required. No thorns either!

that sounds like 3 areas . do you want the children running over your veg or your flowers ?

Box/Buxus is very forgiving, esp when established and is widely available.

This problem was on one of the gardening programmes in the past 6-12 months - but I can't remember which prog. The family had a cherry (?) tree planted in memory of a child, and the other children used the garden for football. Perhaps someone else can remember it - I just remember thinking that it was a silly place to have planted the memorial tree in the middle of the lawn.

yes and know urbanite . the kids will grow up in a blip next to the cherry tree which will be stunning in 10 years . when I had kids I just had a lawn and the odd shrub round the edge . the thing programs never ever address is living with dogs in your garden . the best I sore was a sand pit with dog toys buried in it on ground force of all places . what a stupid idea . as dogs are one of the most common pets kept it seams rediculess that it doesn't get addressed . I built my whole garden around having a dog run and my own part of the garden separate . ive put planters along it to break it up and they run on cement with soil around the back of my pond . the garden slopes down hill which is handy . I do let them in my part but only when im there and im still working on it .

Very true Nosey! Hey, here's an idea....dog run for kids?! ;)) only joking. But kids cause similar problems to dogs because they run about mad and tear up the lawn. In my first garden, when the children were small, we had a bark hipped play area with a low picket fence to separate it off. They came out on to the lawn quite often of course, but the main play area worked well until they were about 7. I don't think my lawn is ever going to recover after this winter.....exercising a labrador puppy on frozen lawn.....dreadful mess.

lol good idea . I have know lawn but I just want to keep what comes out the other end of a dog in one place . lawn is so boring I think . the chips was a natural choice for lots of reasens . my lawn was abused but it didn't matter but dog poo and kids don't mix well so io still; had a run and a dog flap .