Wooden play forts offer children a fun environment in which their imaginations can run wild. Kids can create worlds filled with knights and dragons, pirates and treasure, or simply their own small kingdom.
For an optimal backyard fort build, select the ideal site. Consider areas with shade and plenty of low branches or logs to lean against, as well as ample room.
How to Make a Fort
Forts are an indispensable element of childhood. Forts give kids an outlet for their imaginations to run wild in the playground and turn it into their very own castle or pirate ship - enabling them to pretend they are knights and princesses or Swiss Family Robinsons living in the woods! Building a fort doesn't need to be complicated - even smaller forts can provide ample entertainment! Simply plan accordingly with patience until your fort is complete!
Before beginning construction, select an ideal spot for your fort. Look for flat ground that's easy to build on, while offering ample protection from wind or rain. Once your chosen location has been identified, begin gathering materials including thick string and clothespins as well as pillows, blankets, cardboard boxes, or branches that can make for great walls for your fort.
Trees with low branches that extend close to the ground make great wall supports; alternatively, you could also use chairs, sofas, bed frames, and anything else sturdy enough to support sheets and blankets. Tools such as saws, drills and screwdrivers will come in handy; additionally, make sure that a ladder is available so that access is easy when entering your fort.
Once your frame is constructed, it's time to put on the roof. You have several options when it comes to covering your fort with material - either using a tarp or blankets to form a roof; just be sure to secure all edges carefully with tape.
Add finishing touches to make your fort even better. Be sure the front entrance has a peephole and flag; add two built-in seats so your children can rest during play; brace the hatch by placing a scrap piece of wood across it; this will prevent it from opening during transport and potentially hurting anyone involved.
Now is the time to enjoy your fort. Be sure to fill it with whatever items your children like best, from stuffed animals and flashlights to books. And be sure to provide snacks and beverages so your troops won't become hungry during long fort-building sessions!
Materials
The materials you require for building a fort will depend on its style of creation. A basic backyard fort only requires sheets and blankets while larger structures may need wood. Certain fort designs may incorporate fun additions like slides or ropes courses that require extra materials. Prior to any fort construction beginning, be sure to familiarize yourself with your chosen design by reading any applicable instructions, climate conditions, and how permanent you want your fort to be.
Here are a few great fort ideas to get your imagination going:
Let's Lasso the Moon has developed this simple twig fort project using just a few basic supplies to create a cool kid-friendly space! Just be sure to consult a map or satellite image of your yard before beginning in order to avoid hitting any power lines!
Build a teepee fort, an easy project you can do with sticks and blankets in no time at all! It provides your kids with an outdoor play space that doesn't limit them to an enclosed room!
An additional option for building a backyard fort using a swing set is using it as the foundation. While this requires more effort and materials, the end results could make this worthwhile - just ensure you consult your local authorities first before building structures that may hang off of it and cause risk to nearby structures.
PVC pipes and clamps offer more advanced construction of forts. This project may be suitable for older kids looking for more complex tasks to undertake, as this fort can withstand all elements. It features unique shapes that stand the test of time.
Try this spectacular fort for an impressive playhouse experience. Featuring two stories, a rock wall, and space for a slide - sure to keep kids busy for hours on end!
Design
There are various designs of forts, so choose one that works with your child and the space available. Use blankets, chairs, and other furniture to build cozy yet accessible forts for your little one to play in and create their own private place where they can hide out! Forts provide an exciting way for children to create special places of their own to call their own and escape reality!
Wooden Pallet Forts can provide your children with hours of fun. While it does take more time and effort than blanket forts to build one, wooden pallet forts provide more stability than their blanket counterparts. Assembling one requires cutting and nailing together pallets as well as making decisions regarding windows and walls to add.
Create an incredible fort using cut-down fence sections, like this one. It features a roof, two seats, and even a flag! Make sure the corner pieces of the fort are secured in place by using braces as shown above.
Another fun fort to consider is this teepee-style fort, featuring an adorable doorway and real wood shutters. Not only can this fort inspire creative play and encourage imaginative storytelling, but it can even be constructed out of sticks from your yard! In this case, this family used various wood species so their fort looked natural and was located among green spaces.
PVC pipes make an economical and portable way to create a fort you can move around easily, and your children can even use it outdoors to create jungle escapes or pirate ships!
If you want an easily constructed and dismantled fort, this design could be just what you're searching for. Build it with your children for maximum fun; each will enjoy the end result together! This fort features a rope net ladder, turbo tube slide and pulley bucket so they can transport items inside easily.
Assembly
Children of all ages enjoy creating forts, and adults often find them simple to assemble. Fabric forts like teepees and simple tents made with string between two trees are easy to construct while more elaborate structures such as wooden forts require adult supervision to make sure they remain safe and sturdy, adding an element of creativity and adventure into outdoor play.
BuildEazy offers this elegant fort project to give your fort a more luxurious aesthetic, complete with a trap door entry, climbing wall, swing, and roof with window. Their plans are easy to follow and the finished product will be an attractive addition to your backyard.
Another fort that makes good use of nature is this tree house in California's yard, situated atop a sloping hill in their backyard and shaded by trees for playtime. Plus, this fort features an enclosed loft space - adding even more fun!
This fort is constructed out of fence sections, so most of its assembly entails creating its frame and adding braces that hold together its pickets. A peephole can be added by drilling a small hole through one brace; to add an access hatch or latch use scrap wood attached above your hatch for fastening purposes.
When building a wooden fort, having an everyday hammer will prove indispensable. Not only can it help nail materials together, but you may need it to apply roofing felt and make any adjustments as you go along. If you don't own one already, one can be purchased from any DIY supplier for just a few dollars. You will also require ladders for reaching higher parts of the fort as well as tape measures and power drills or screwdrivers - don't forget the instructions that came with your playset!