A Parent’s Guide to Creating Garden Dens

Welcome to an epic guide on how to create garden dens! Whether you’re building a fortress, a cosy reading nook, or a secret hideout for your little adventurers, we have you covered!  

Building a Permanent Kingdom  

Ah – the excitement of building a permanent garden den! It’s like building your own mini castle or secret escape in your own private space.  

First things first, you will need a plan. Scout the perfect location – possibly a shady corner, or under a tree is ideal. Then, roughly sketch or use a programme to create your own design and layout to aid you when planning a project like this one. This can also be useful in telling you what measurements you require.  

For inspiration, you can dive into DIY magazines, or the enchanted realm of Pinterest. Discover ideas from whimsical treehouses to cosy cabins; allow your imagination to run wild. Better yet why not involve the kids in the grand decision? You will be amazed at the ideas they can contribute!  

Once you and the kids have designed what you’d like to set up in the garden, it’s time to think about what materials you need. Will you be using a dark oak wood, or a grey varnished wood, or maybe you’d like to decorate the outside with high quality, weatherproof paint? Remember to think about how you will keep the area warm for the kids, what flooring you need, and your roof to ensure the inside stays nice and dry.  

Don’t forget essential tools if you are planning to DIY this yourself at home, like sturdy wood for the frames, a saw, hammer, drill, measuring tape, nails, screws and so on.  

Once you’ve gathered your materials and settled on a design, it’s time to roll your sleeves up and get busy! Ask for some help from friends or family for a weekend of carpentry camaraderie. And be sure to enjoy the process of building memories along the way.  

As your permanent den takes shape, we recommend sparkling personal touches throughout that will make the den truly unique. You can hang up a sign by the entrance like “Welcome to Wonderland” or “Dragon’s Lair” to greet your visitors, you can also use paint to add handprints on a special corner with everyone’s names underneath, there are endless possibilities. Plant climbing vines around the outside or decorate with fairy lights to add a touch of magic for your little ones, let the kid’s imagination soar!  

Temporary Garden Dens: Forts and Fantasies  

For those spontaneous summer days or nights, where the sky is clear, the weather is warm, and the kids are in need of an adventure – why not create a temporary fort in the garden?  

Raid the linen cupboard for bed sheets, blankets, and clotheslines, and let your children’s creativity flow. You can set the kids with the task of gathering sticks from the garden to use as a frame and have the sheets become the walls, or you can find a tree with a branch that sticks out quite low down to use as a starting point.  

We recommend throwing in some fairy lights (because who doesn’t love fairy lights!) to add extra magic! Whether you’re building a pirate ship using some unwanted delivery boxes as a base or a princess castle using a tent and some white bedsheets to drape around it, the key is to have fun and create memories along the way. 

Fill the inside with loads of pillows and blankets and enjoy having a day outside, with a picnic box filled with snacks, family board games for endless laughs, and at night you can all watch the sky and moon together. This is the perfect day to capture for the family memory book.   

Plus, the dismantling process is half the adventure – just watch out for when the kids become sheet monsters!  

Playhouse Paradise  

Short on time or DIY skills? No problem!  

Enter the world of playhouses as dens, where kids can experience endless fun. From cosy vibrant cottages to deluxe large cabins with a fenced garden, there’s always a playhouse to suit every child’s needs or every parent’s budget.  

Simple to assemble, decorate, and look after, have your children enjoy extraordinary adventures with their friends or siblings. And hey, who says adults can’t join in on the fun too? (After all, every playhouse needs a designated tea party corner for the grown-ups!)  

So, whether you opt for a permanent fortress, a temporary fort, or a ready-made playhouse, the most important ingredient is creativity! So, gather the troops (a.k.a. the kids), and embark on a quest of garden glory. Happy den – ing!  

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