We all remember the thrill of building our own treehouses and forts when we were kid. Back then of course the internet wasn’t around and we had to rely on our own imagination or friends and peers ideas to get by.
We’re not complaining, and we still had a ton of fun; but wouldn’t it have been even better to have access to endless examples and different ideas of treehouses and forts? Especially easily replicated ideas that are perfect for an at home, playful DIY ethos? Well folks, it’s 2018 now and the internet IS around!
Kids Fort and Treehouse Ideas:
This blog post is going to give you some unique, fascinating and beautiful fort and treehouse ideas that will keep your kids entertained all summer long. Look out for some old classics that we all knew and loved, as well as some original and fresh ideas for the 21st century. You won’t go wrong finding the perfect treehouse and fort design for kids!
- The Sheet Tent
We did say to look out for some classics, so why not start with one? The sheet tent is simple, low maintenance but still a staple of fort and treehouse building to this day. All you need is two trees (or two sturdy contraptions) not too far apart from each other, on which you can connect a rope on either side. Upon this rope, place a non-fitted bed sheet on top and get it staked to the ground. Now your kids will have their own outdoor shelter made with minimum fuss and effort. We recommend adding spare blankets to put on the ground underneath the sheet tent just to make it a more comfortable and relaxing play area.
- Book Fort
This one is a little more unique and will require some patience from both you and your kids, but in the end you’ll have an academic themed fort you can be proud of. Before you start you’ll need an excess load of books! You can of course pick up a ton of books for very cheap now from any thrift or charity store, but the fort might have more charm if the books are from you and your kids own collection. The premise is simple. Build a fort out of books! The fort will have to be smaller, and this is definitely an indoor construction job, but the end result is still a lot of fun. Better yet, when you’re done you could use it as a designated learning area too. Neat!
- Cardboard Village
There are very few materials in as much abundance as cardboard. Even if you don’t have any old cardboard boxes at home, you can go to the local store and request some really easily. Shop owners will be happy for you to take them off their hands! Once you have enough cardboard boxes, the fun can begin. You can construct a little village in any shape or form you can imagine. The other obvious positive of using cardboard is it’s very simple to customize. You and your kids can have a blast painting fake windows, or just decorating the cardboard with something more interesting. You could turn your cardboard village into anything!
- Barebones Treehouse
As the name suggests, you won’t need many materials to concoct this summer classic. First of all, head outside into your yard and pick a tree. Make sure it’s perfect, as this is what you’re going to make your very own barbones treehouse out of! Take some old planks of wood and nail them to the tree to create a makeshift stair ladder to climb up it. PLEASE NOTE: Make sure this is being adult supervised at all times, and do not let your kids handle any grown up tools. You can teach them how to nail a hammer but make it a visual learning exercise and not a practical one! Once you’re done creating the ladder, you can build a very minimal platform out of wood that will need to be supported by two large wooden beams. We recommend you make this as close to the ground as possible to avoid any accidents. Once you’re done with the platform and the ladder, you can add a sheet to create a makeshift roof and add some cushions to make the wooden platform comfier for your kids.
- Tree Fort
That’s right..it’s a combination of both a fort and a tree house! This superb hybrid design brings the rustic feel of a treehouse and its cute outdoors feel to the classic fort set up we all know and love. All you’ll need is a small(ish) tree and a basic square platform to build around it. Once you’ve made the basic foundation all you’ll need is a non-fitted bed sheet to go over the top to add that fort style to the tree house. As always, decorate to your heart’s content! As a cool bonus, we recommend creating a flag and flying it high!
You can design your own mascot or use a classic skull and bones pirate theme. Failing that, you can’t go wrong with the good old fashioned star spangled banner. As always for the interior design, we recommend lots of pillows and blankets to make the rough wood decking a lot more comfortable for your kids.
Check out some other great fun family activities for kids!
