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Building Forts...Classic Childhood Pastime
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:44 am
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:44 am
The "Backyards are overrated" thread over on the OT got me thinking...do kids still go out in the backyard/woods and build forts?
I never had a Nintendo, Sega, whathaveyou, but I built the hell out of some forts in the woods. Some of them I'm convinced could have withstood a mortar attack. I used to dig pits, line it with my parents firewood, stock it with bb guns, random canned goods and prepare for an attack...from the russians...or the neighbors...or whomever...point is I was ready. Damn fine way to spend a childhood.
What says the OB? Any former fort builders in here? Any best practices to share with America's youth?
I never had a Nintendo, Sega, whathaveyou, but I built the hell out of some forts in the woods. Some of them I'm convinced could have withstood a mortar attack. I used to dig pits, line it with my parents firewood, stock it with bb guns, random canned goods and prepare for an attack...from the russians...or the neighbors...or whomever...point is I was ready. Damn fine way to spend a childhood.
What says the OB? Any former fort builders in here? Any best practices to share with America's youth?
34
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:46 am to TheGreat318
My buddy and I used to cut willows down with an ax, one of us would climb to the top while the other chopped it down so we could ride it down. Then we would trim it up and make our forts.
Ome of our forts still stands, it looks like a tiny log cabin...that was 30 years ago.
Ome of our forts still stands, it looks like a tiny log cabin...that was 30 years ago.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:50 am to TheGreat318
Was about a 15 acre patch if woods between us and the neighbor and we had a big white oak fall in there. We built an elaborate village on that tree. Even had a small creek by it that we were convinced we could catch frogs, and crawfish from it to live off of in addition to robins that net their death at the hands of a pellet gun
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:52 am to TheGreat318
quote:
"Backyards are overrated"
Doucher he is.
quote:
I never had a Nintendo, Sega, whathaveyou, but I built the hell out of some forts in the woods.
This
quote:
I used to dig pits, line it with my parents firewood, stock it with bb guns, random canned goods and prepare for an attack...from the russians...or the neighbors...or whomever...point is I was ready. Damn fine way to spend a childhood.
Yep
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:52 am to TheGreat318
I've built many forts and tree houses. Can't wait to start with my kids on fort building.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:53 am to TheGreat318
I built an awesome treehouse for my son when he was about 7. Took me a week and spent a couple hundred bucks. He went in it about 5 times. 
I told my wife I wouldn't care if he went up there to hide and smoke as long as he used it.
I told my wife I wouldn't care if he went up there to hide and smoke as long as he used it.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:53 am to TheGreat318
quote:
Any former fort builders in here?
Yep
quote:
Any best practices to share with America's youth?
Just get outdoors with there buddies
Posted on 4/25/13 at 7:58 am to TheGreat318
Ill admit that in my day I'd spend all day playing in the woods year round but I'm hesitant to let my boys do it. Killed 7 rattlers in 3 years within 300 yards of my house and I just don't have faith that these kids look out for snakes like we use to.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 8:19 am to TheGreat318
quote:
do kids still go out in the backyard/woods and build forts?
Nope and it's not because of video games and computers. It's because kids can't go out to play. Even if the woods or field or neighborhood is "safe" from perverts, there is still the litigious culture we live in. Example ?: Mr. Smith owns the lot where little Johnny and little Sammy play football with their friends. Little Sammy sticks his foot in a hole, twists his ankle and Sammy's mom and dad hire an attorney because Mr. Smith should have known there were holes on his property and should have protected the kids from such perilous conditions. Build a fort? Hell, they can't walk through the woods without getting threatened and run off muck less hall some old pallets and plywood out there.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 8:34 am to TheGreat318
I grew up in rural LA on 30 acres that was bordered on 3 sides by 50,000 acres of Kisatchie National Forest.
I had forts everywhere. We would have some intense BB gun battles in the woods.
I had forts everywhere. We would have some intense BB gun battles in the woods.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 8:39 am to TheGreat318
i wrecked shop on the tallow tree behind my pow pows house. had a 3 story setup i built myself. pow pow's tires eat a lot of nails in them days.
i wouldn't build forts in the woods/cow pastures, but i played out in all of it. one of my favorite pastimes was chasing dillers with a bat.
i wouldn't build forts in the woods/cow pastures, but i played out in all of it. one of my favorite pastimes was chasing dillers with a bat.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 8:50 am to TheGreat318
My parents got a load of dirt one time and I think that was my favorite toy ever.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 8:51 am to TheGreat318
Built forts all the time growing up. Used to go to my friends houses where we would spend all morning and afternoon building our fort, and setting booby traps. Once we were ready, we would lure the older brothers into the woulds and spring our traps on them.........but we eventually always got caught and got our asses beat. Ahhhh good times!!!!
Posted on 4/25/13 at 8:56 am to TheGreat318
Former fort builder checking in.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 8:59 am to TheGreat318
Growing up in Lafourche Parish was awesome. Bayou on one side, cane fields in front, woods in the back. Me and my buddies were always building some kind of fort in the woods. I miss those days.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 9:03 am to TheGreat318
Christmas tree forts were the best.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 9:04 am to TheGreat318
Absolutely. Lived out in the country in grade school. Used to go off for hours with a hatchet, knife and a shovel just to go "build" structures in the woods. Only stipulation my mom gave was - be back before dark. Damn I miss those days.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 9:15 am to TheGreat318
Had forts all over. Both grandparents' houses and a couple accessible from mine. Had one behind a friend's house stacked with Playboys. We were about 10.
Mom came home one day from the grocery and I had made "steps" up a tree in the back yard with nails (just like dad did) and my 8 yr old brother was stuck up on a limb 20' off the ground. He'd been up there a while, so while waiting on dad to get home to fix it I had somehow gotten him a fishing rod up in the tree and I'd hook a canteen, a ziploc of cheetos, and a blanket to sit on onto a chartreuse H&H that he'd reel them up with.
Mom came home one day from the grocery and I had made "steps" up a tree in the back yard with nails (just like dad did) and my 8 yr old brother was stuck up on a limb 20' off the ground. He'd been up there a while, so while waiting on dad to get home to fix it I had somehow gotten him a fishing rod up in the tree and I'd hook a canteen, a ziploc of cheetos, and a blanket to sit on onto a chartreuse H&H that he'd reel them up with.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 9:16 am to TheGreat318
Living in the sticks of Mississippi forts are a must have for children growing up. Hell even some of our houses are no bigger or nicer then a fort.
Posted on 4/25/13 at 9:46 am to TheGreat318
quote:
The "Backyards are overrated" thread over on the OT got me thinking...do kids still go out in the backyard/woods and build forts?
We used to build forts in Ford's Pasture and the surrounding woods using wood that "was just lying around" construction sites. We also used to make some bad-arse tree houses out of said wood.
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