Get Outside And...Build a Fort!

I think just about everyone I know has a childhood memory of some sort of secret outdoor hideout or fort. Whether it was an actual playhouse, tree house, cardboard box, hollowed out willow tree, climbing tree, cardboard box, tent or tee-pee, there was something particularly magical and special about having a special space to play in, read in or hide out in outdoors. And in an effort to make sure my own kids are no exception to the rule that everyone I know has a childhood memory of some sort of secret outdoor hideout or fort, I decided to help facilitate their first exposure to this longtime beloved activity.

The outdoors is HUGE. A small space, a special space, a secret even a sacred space is a childhood must! In these spaces, little ones can be big. Magic can happen. Play can expand to new heights even as you are crouched down low to fit beneath a low hanging rooftop. What is it about little children seeking little spaces? I believe that they are drawn to the wonder of feeling big in them. And seeing young children at play in settings like this is such a good reminder that while fresh air and open space are so important for exercise, large spaces are not a necessity all of the time. Plenty of incredible things can happen (and developmental goals can be met) in spaces that are quite tiny.

There are some amazing structures on the market these days. We've seen beautiful playgrounds with quaint little tree houses, hobbit houses, child sized cottages and even pergolas or gazebos. But to build our own backyard fort, one we would keep a temporary structure given our space and setting, all I needed was three plastic plant stakes from the hardware store, some rubber bands, an old sheet and some clothespins. While the boys were napping in the afternoon, I set up shop in the back. I finagled the supplies into a tee-pee and decided to add in our basket of playsilks, some extra clothespins, a small basket of our favorite Spring themed books, some sticks and some rocks and stones.

S and Y both saw the tee-pee from their bedroom window when they woke up from their naps and were eager to get and play! We had a quick bite to eat and headed out back! And then, I was quite surprised that S looked at the tee-pee, but then played with the mega blocks and trucks. Y walked around the back and lifted one side of the sheet, playing peek-a-boo underneath and then took to playing inside of our parked red wagon. What was going on here? Then I realized neither of them had ever seen a tee-pee and they didn't know they could go inside!

Once I showed them they could go inside and sit or build or play or imagine, a whole scene emerged. They needed to build a bonfire to roast marshmallows. What could they use as marshmallows? S had an idea! We could use playdough! He went inside and brought out our leftover bag of peppermint playdough. He rolled himself a marshmallow and stuck it upon one end of a pussy willow branch rubbed clean of its fuzzy little blossoms. Y was very jealous. S rolled him an even bigger peppermint playdough marshmallow and stuck it on the end of an even bigger stick (all the while having me heavily guard the one he'd made for himself from his very eager little brother).

Then it was time to build the fire, but it wasn't quite hot enough yet to cook the marshmallows, S explained. They needed some help. Help from dinosaurs and little Fisher Price people and construction trucks to haul over some stones. They needed to add more scarves to the fire to "make it hotter." And then it was finally time to roast their marshmallows!

And just as they got to roasting, I heard the loud whir of lawn mowers. Oh dear, they were coming to mow our lawn! Never have you seen a crew of backyardloving marshmallow roasting tee-pee dwelling nature babies clean up so quickly and cooperatively and hurry inside! We dismantled and gathered things back to their spots and into baskets as fast as we could and went inside. It was a bummer, for sure, but easy enough to rebuild and revisit another day. Who knows what adventures will happen in the Brothers' Top Secret Hideout the next time? And, the lawnmowers were a blessing in disguise as well. Besides for trimming our grass forest back into a sizable lawn, they preempted a massive storm of thunder, a few inches of torrential rains and even hail. We had certainly been spared a soggy surprise!

So grab what you have on hand, maybe some old sheets and lawn furniture, maybe a few plant stakes or some upcycled trellises. Maybe a large cardboard box or a few medium sized ones. Get outside and build your own fort. You don't need an enormous amount of materials and space to build enormously magical childhood memories. We can't wait to build our next outdoor fort, but until then....

Happy Playing!