Some of my very favourite childhood memories involve building fun backyard forts and hideaways, so there’s no wonder why I love creating special little play spaces with my daughter now. There’s just something magical about having a cozy space to call your own as a child, isn’t there? This backyard tent couldn’t be any simpler to pull together and it’s guaranteed to be well loved by kids of all ages.
You will need:
- a queen or king-sized bed sheet
- several metres of rope
- four big rocks, bricks or other heavy objects
- two solid trees to string your rope between
- furnishings to cozy up the inside of the tent (optional, but fun!)
Instructions:
1. Tie your rope at shoulder level from one tree to the other. There are probably many fancy knots you could use for the job, but we just tied regular everyday knots and they held just fine!
2. Next, place your sheet over the rope so that an even amount hangs down on either side. The folded sheet should touch the ground just a little bit. If not, adjust the height of the rope by carefully shimmying it up or down the tree trunk.
3. Gently pull out each side of the folded sheet to create a triangular tent shape and secure the corners with your heavy rocks or bricks. That’s it! Your basic tent is now done and if you want to keep things very simple, it can be used exactly as it is.
Or, if you don’t mind the kids dragging a few things outdoors, the tent can be cozied up by covering the ground with a blanket and adding a few pillows and a stack of books. My little lady pretty much wanted to move into her tent, so she included a throw blanket, a stuffed animal and a mason jar of wildflowers too.
Later on, we added some simple washi tape flags to the rope in order to make it a little more visible. Ribbons or strips of fabric scraps tied along the rope would work well for this purpose too.
Time to relax and enjoy!
We spent most of our afternoon in our tent reading books, chatting and playing imaginative games, which made for a perfect summer’s day.
Jen Kossowan
See all of Jen's posts.
Jen is a teacher, blogger, and mama to a spirited little lady and a preemie baby boy. She's passionate about play, loves a good DIY project, adores travelling, and can often be found in the kitchen creating recipes that meet her crunchy mama criteria. You can follow Jen on her blog, Mama.Papa.Bubba, and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
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