Yard question - small with interlocking bricks

[EllasMum]

We moved into a townhouse a couple years ago. The previous owner was a retired fellow who covered the entire yard (maybe 12 by 15 feet?) in those interlocking bricks/blocks. This was fine for us when DD was younger, but now that she is older (5, this summer), she wants to play outside. I would prefer to have grass, or failing that, at least a softer, more forgiving surface. We looked at removing the blocks but then would likely be faced with several inches of sand. I guess the prospect of trucking away those bricks, then bringing in more soil and then sod just seems like a big undertaking. I would be willing to do it, but none of my extended family/friends seem all that thrilled with being roped into helping. ;) Has anyone out there dealt with this kind of yard situation? If yes, what did you do? This backyard just is not kid-friendly in the slightest.

TIA!

[egoldber]

I have not, but we have a very small yard. The backyard is fenced with grass, but my kids pretty much exclusively play in our front "yard", which is just our driveway and the cul de sac. They play with chalk, toys, dolls, hopscotch, balls, bubbles, jumprope, cars, wagons, etc. I am actually considering paving most of my backyard to make it lower maintenance and more "usable". Also, the drainage in the back is not the best and when it rains it is quite muddy and soggy for days, whereas the driveway is usable all the time.

So I guess my point is before I go to all that trouble and expense, I'd think about how you could make it kid friendlier as it is now. Also, they may have done that to solve a drainage/water issue, so I would consider that too. And if you don't necessarily plan to be in this house for a really long time, it could be just fine as is.

[o_mom]

I would look at removing just part of it and putting in mulch as a play surface. You could make a built-in sand box in one corner and put mulch down for a small climber/swing area in another part. I would keep some of the hard surface close to the door as a place for a small patio set (like a bistro) to sit at and to keep the mud/dirt out of the house.

I would bet you could get rid of the bricks pretty fast on Freecycle or Craigslist without having to truck them anywhere.