Each year, parents fight the battle to get their children to play outdoors. Unfortunately, many of those children easily experience boredom. If you are the parent of one of those children, you may have searched high and low for the ultimate backyard experience. In your search, it is likely you came across tree houses or forts. These structures offer most children an unlimited amount of fun. This type of activity feeds a child's imagination. In fact, you may find that your child doesn't want to leave their newly constructed tree house or fort.
While tree forts or houses are fun to play in, there is something even more exciting than playing in them. The process of making and designing a tree house or fort is a memory you and your child will likely never forget. Therefore, if your child does not already have a tree house or fort, you may want to consider making one. To get the most out of this experience, you will want to make it together.
To build a tree house or fort, you may need to have a tree. While a tree is a vital part of a tree house or a tree fort, it is not necessarily required. If you only have small, unstable trees in your backyard or none at all, you can still build your child a fun play fort or house. Instead of building the structure in a tree, you will just have to build it on the ground.
You should get started by familiarizing yourself with the many options available. Check out any existing structures you or the kids know about and even take some photos to examine later. Allow time to look at popular designs so you can get ideas on sizes and the materials necessary. You may even find detailed plans that will educate you about the building process.
By far the best way to get familiar with tree house or fort designs is to do some research on the internet. You can easily find websites with everything from design and building tips to complete details building plans. You should start a file so you can print and save any information and spend time with your kids developing your design.
In addition to using the internet, to familiarize yourself with tree house or fort designs, you may also want to visit your local bookstore or library. There are numerous books and resource guides available. These resource guides, like the ones found online, should provide you with pictures and detailed directions. If your local book store or library does not have any tree house or fort books, you may want to search for books online.
When your design is complete you need to create a list of the building supplies you will need. You may want to consider using fine thread deck screws instead of nails in many cases. These have the advantage of going in easy without the pounding you have to do with nails. Once in, they have a much stronger hold than nails and can even be removed easily. Large building supply stores are located in just about every town these days and you should be able to find every thing you need in one stop.
After you have gotten your materials together, don't give in to the urge to build the fort quickly. Instead take the time to involve your children in the process. Even if the kids are too small to do any of the actual building of the structure, there are other ways you can help them to feel involved. One way is to let them help by retrieving tools or materials while you are building. You also could have them read the directions from the plans as you are working. No matter how large or small their part is, by letting them be part of the building process you will be creating lifelong cherished memories.
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