Over the weekend I started searching online for backyard play space inspiration. Now that we have a spacious, grassy area all our own I really want to build a playhouse or swing set or some other sort of fun area for the kids to enjoy once the weather gets warm.
During the course of my ramblings, I came across the idea of the willow den, which seems to be fairly common type of structure in the UK. I was totally enchanted by these images -- I love that willow dens are completely natural and easy to build (here's a great tutorial on how to make your own)!
How magical, right? Have you ever seen/made/played in a willow den?
Oh how beautiful! I used to play in something similar, not sure if it was willow or some kind of shrub that just grew that way...it was just along a River we used to go to every weekend when I was little, but it was the most fun place to play in ever!
ReplyDeleteThose are really wonderful. I did one out of sticks in our yard this fall..hoping that when it snows it would make a great snow hut, no luck yet! http://standardspicywhatnot.blogspot.com/2011/11/rainy-playhut.html one picture I have of it online.
ReplyDeleteLOVE
ReplyDeleteI live in Wales and we have one in our school field, it's a willow maze grown in a spiral with various den-type sections around the edge and in the centre. It's beautiful: cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It needs regular upkeep as willow grows really fast, but you do have the pleasant side-effect of bountiful offcuts for awesome weaving projects - or you can just stick them in the ground and they carry on growing :D
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and magical! Makes me want to run in and play too.
ReplyDeleteWe had one at my early childhood home. We moved when I was seven but I remember it dearly.
ReplyDeletethose are much prettier than my childhood fort/den of a forsythia bush. my siblings and i would play forever under the forsythia. when they get big they naturally open underneath - or you can cut out the dead canes. we would gather up all the fresh grass clippings to make a soft carpet underneath. it was awesome. i grow hops here in NH and they grow exceptionally fast and far. season two of our hops plants grew 15' tall! they'd be great over a wood or wire structure.
ReplyDeletehave fun with your new space!
-Shannon
This is such a Waldorf School type of thing....the kids love them!
ReplyDeleteI love these. I have been planning one for a long time, but it just doesn't come together. Maybe this year...
ReplyDeleteI remember playing in one as a child and loved it. The one my neighbor's had was quite leafy so it was a perfect 'girls only' club where we could read in private.
ReplyDeleteI remember playing in things like this when we'd go camping. Also, there was this awesome, lush bush (yes, in phx, az!) in front of my bedroom window that was just far enough away that you could go behind it. The window had a ledge that was perfect for sitting on, so my neighborhood friends and I would sit in there and have secret club-house meetings. I look forward to having a yard again one day so we can create awesome things like this. :-) What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteSo Lovely!
ReplyDeleteholy cow! thanks for sharing. gotta do this.
ReplyDeleteThat is the most enchanting thing I've ever seen. i want one on my balcony!
ReplyDeleteWe used to do them with sunflowers, which was equally magical and also had the advantage of providing a tasty sunflower seed snack at the end of the season (if the birds hadn't gotten them all before we did!).
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