There is something exciting about forts. While houses and other buildings do protect from outside dangers, they generally have other primary purposes. Forts exist only to defend and protect. They create a barrier between the outside and the inside allowing for a world within a world. They have selective membership. They use the environment to their advantage.
The forts we built as children had a similar purpose. They served to create the temporary fantasy of a house all our own where we were in charge, and the outside world could be forgotten. The process of building the fort was the building of the fantasy. Nothing had to be realistic or practical. Unlike military forts, childhood forts could be create and dismantled in a day.
This is a post in tribute to forts:
Top 10 Ancient Forts Around the World
Top 10 U.S. Forts
Awesome Collection of Crazy Forts
10 Amazing Tree Houses
From what I remember of childhood fort building, there were a number of types and styles. An improvised couch cushion fort on a rainy day was very different from the shed attic used as a permanent fort all summer.
Here are the forts I remember creating as a child--
Attic Fort
Crawl Space Fort
Above the Garage Fort
Under the Table Fort
Shed Fort
Tents
Camper in the Backyard Fort
Playground Fort
2. Nature Forts:
Snow Igloo
Tree Fort
Bush Fort
3. Forts by Design (These forts involved some construction):
Box Fort
Couch Cushion Fort
Mattress Fort
Umbrella Fort
Box Fan and Blanket Fort -- I thought I inventedthis idea but here is a link to instructions.
Clothesline Fort
Dad's Extra Lumber Fort
