Anna Hopping : are the bare spots due to shade? or lack of water? in my area bare ground is due to lack of water penetration. either the water runs off or there is insufficient rain. check out the ways to slow water down and hold it so it will sink in. if the grass does not grow try seeding weeds and chop and drop

Jana Hammonds-Jennings : Wow, I haven't checked this in a while. Thank you for the response and I apologize for my delayed response.

Wear from kids' play is the main reason for the bare ground. But yes, the rain runs off as well, but has mostly sun. I did make some small swales and some weeds and a little grass began to grow. There is a lot of traffic in that spot with a dog, kids, and now a couple of chickens.