Want To Keep Your Kids Entertained For Hours? These 4 DIY Backyard Ideas Can Do The Trick!

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DIY projects are fun, exciting, and they keep your kids entertained for hours. DIY activities offer you the freedom to add your own interesting twists to classic backyard activities. So, here, we bring you some uber-cool DIY backyard ideas. Keep reading and let the creativity flow!

1. Outdoor Black Board

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You Will Need:

• A 4 x 8 plywood sheet

• A fence

• A hammer and nails

• A mixture of outdoor paint and sanded grout, in a shade that resembles a blackboard. The mixture works well for the outdoors, as it’s difficult to find the correct shade in outdoor paint.

How To:

1. Take your nails and hammer, and attach the sheet to a fence.

2. This can be a little expensive, but it can last for months and months come rain or shine.

2. Mini Zip Line

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You Will Need:

• A dowel or something similar (wooden rod, for example)

• A drill

• A pulley

• A rope that won’t stretch.

How To:

1. Drill a hole in the middle of the dowel

2. Insert the rope through the hole and tie a strong knot.

3. Secure the other end of the rope to the pulley.

4. Take a longer piece and ensure it runs through the pulley.

5. Attach the rope to something high, on either side of the rope (zip line). A tree should work! For extra safety, don’t attach it too high, or an adult can move as the zip line moves.

3. A Swing For Two

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A tree swing requires a lot of steps, so read carefully!

You Will Need:

• A mature, strong and sturdy tree with branches,

• A 4′ of pressure treated 2 inch x 8-inch board

• A hollow-core braided polypropylene rope 10 3″

• Outdoor deck screws

• Wood glue

• Sanding block

• 120 grit paper

• A drill

• A level

• A hacksaw

• A lighter

How To:

1. Measure the bench so that two kids can fit at once.

2. Sand all the edges

3. Attach the support blocks to either side of the bench with wood glue and let it set.

4. Drive five (for the corners and the middle) wood screws into the bottom of the support blocks up into the seat.

5. Drill two holes that are equidistant from each other and the edges of the seat. The holes will allow the rope to go through.

6. For safety, tie a running bowline knot, throw it over the branch and loop it through.

7. Take the full-length of rope and cut it in half.

8. Throw the looped end over the top of the branch.

9. Thread the ends through the loop and pull tight.

10. Take both loose ends of the rope together and tie a knot at the desired hand-height.

11. Thread the loose end of each rope from the top of the bench through the bottom and tie a stopper knot at the desired height of the swing.

12. Use a level to make sure the swing seat is properly balanced.

13. Take a lighter and melt the ends of the knotted rope so it doesn’t fray. If you are using a natural fiber rope, skip this step.

4. Summer Teepee

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You Will Need:

• 8 cedar poles around 15 ft tall

• 3-4 ft of rope

• Sheets

• A pair of scissors

• A stapler

How To:

1. Take 2 poles, line them up, and bind them with rope about a foot from the top.

2. Slip in another pole in the middle of the first 2 poles and bind them together.

3. Make the tripod stand and add the extra poles by spacing them evenly apart.

4. Take the rope, weave it in and out of all the poles and tie it TIGHTLY in the middle. Your basic structure is done!

5. Staple the sheets to the poles and trim the extras after.

6. To make the entrance, cut an upside down U, that is big enough for your kid.

All these activities will last you for many months to come; the cost of time and money will be worth it!

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