How to Create the Ultimate Backyard Fort

Just as the final school bells were ringing summer last year, Southern California blogger Jessica Kraus (@houseinhabit) was working up a game plan to keep her four boys, ages 2-10, occupied for the long haul. After combing through Pinterest for inspiration, Jessica turned to her husband Mike Krause, a foreman for the pipefitters union, to transform her informal sketches into a modern backyard fort that the boys would favor over couch time.

For about $300, Mike crafted the ultimate hideaway using corrugated sheet metal for a roof and rot-resistant 4-by-4-foot white redwood fencing topped off with a few coats of Thompson’s Water Sealer.

Jessica encourages the boys to hang their artwork inside and watch movies in the fort after dark.

• Bow and arrow, from $23; twobrosbows.com

Fun yet danger-free, this bow-and-arrow duo was developed by siblings Duncan and Hayden (then ages 7 and 10) out of their apartment in Davidson, North Carolina.

• Disc swing, $60; theoriginaltreeswing.com

This traditional disc swing is a carefree diversion for kids and their folks. Crafted from ash and secured with 20 feet of polypropylene rope, it’s made in Minneapolis.

• Alseda stool, $30; ikea.com

These lightweight, go-anywhere banana fiber stools make ideal seating (slash pillows) for outdoor movies and impromptu PB&J picnics.

• Teeter-totter, available in 6 colors, from $290; thepaloma.co

Riding solo or with a pal, this mini modern teeter-totter handmade from sustainable birch in Los Angeles will no doubt rock your kiddos’ summer.

• Kids wooden plate, $18; poketo.com

Make outdoor meals fun for kids (and worry free for parents) with these carved, durable wood plates.