Episode Nine: Make A Hut

Whether big or small, this easy idea wins every time.

This weekend we made a hut. Interestingly enough, two weeks ago I made another using old forklift pallets from my work (more on this in coming weeks). But this weekend we kept it simple with four chairs with a blanket draped over them.

There's something about being cooped under a blanket that kids love. I guess it's the whole 'Wendy House' mentality. It's their own world where they rule the roost and make the space their own. I can see the appeal. For this simplified hut I arranged the chairs then asked my helpful middle boy to hold one side of the blanket while I arranged it. "Are we making a hut?!", was his reply. He was hooked.

With that done, it was just a matter of laying a nice blanket underneath, throwing a few cushions in there and some toys that I knew would entice my baby girl. She immediately crawled into the hut and put her head down on the cushion. Mission accomplished.

In the hut we shared imaginary cups of tea, pretended a ball was an apple and did some karaoke with the echo microphone. I don't think it matters what toys or activities you put in there, everything is better under a blanket.

A good hut doesn't have to be made out of some four-by-two and plywood up in a tree, although that certainly sounds cool. It could simply be a fort made out of couch cushions or a bivouac made by flinging a tarpaulin over your washing line. It could be blankets over chairs like we did. However you tackle it, getting your children involved in the construction of their own little space will give them a sense of ownership, not to mention pride.

Once the construction is complete, make sure you pay them a visit and stay a while. Be their guest, engage with them and give them a sense of being the boss of their own little house. Seriously, they will love it. If you don't have spare timber or you don't own your own place, a temporary indoor hut like the ones described will do the trick.

Have fun!