Grass alternative

I have a really tiny front lawn area in front of my house and I’ve had a really hard time getting the grass to consistently grow there. I think it’s likely because of the humongous trees that shade it in the summer. I’m wondering what people have gone with that still has some of the features of grass but more robust and tolerant of shade. I’d like to be able to walk on the area, my dog pees on a specific corner and my kid sometimes plays on a water mat on the other.