Lawns- yay or nay?

wondering if a lawn is 'worth it' in our climate... I have a large yard that's basically a quarter acre of woodchips.needs an upgrade, not sure if a grassy section should be part of the plan.

on the one hand- drought likely returning, money, time, not native to socal. on the other hand- grass.

context- I have 3 little kids (age 1-6), so far not into sports. no dogs.

for those that have lawns- is it worth the expense and time? would you do it if you were starting from scratch?

for those who don't have lawns- what's your yard like?

Thanks!!