With children being restricted to houses, play tents are one sure shot way of keeping them happily engaged.
For children, their play tents are the best source of entertainment – whether placed inside their room or even outside the house in the garden. While you can simply go online and pick up something which best suits your child a better idea would be to make this a DIY activity and rope in your kids and partner … trust us it’ll be fun!
Moreover, when you make your own play tent, you can personalize it to your child’s preferences by using colours, fabrics, materials et al according to your subjective requirement.
Gharpedia brings the benefits and uses of play tents along with some DIY ideas for children’s play tents and teepees.
Benefits of Play tents
- Provide a source of dual entertainment – indoor and outdoor
- Strengthen the child’s ability to coordinate movements, balance and imagination
- Are the perfect birthday gift
- Provide a hideout, some ‘me space’ and a little privacy to the child
Uses of Play tents
Play tents pack in a plethora of uses. They can be used:
- As a reading nook
- As a place for naps
- For a picnic in the garden
- As a place where your child can seek solace when he’s angry or hurt
Let’s have a look at the basics of some DIY ideas for play tents and teepees which will not only be a rage for the apple-of-your-eye but will also take you back to your childhood!
DIY Ideas For Children’s Play Tents And Teepees
01. Summer Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
This play tent requires a single cut and easy-to-follow instructions to transform into a reading nook that your child will simply love to nestle in
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1x2x6 Select pine boards – Five
- 1x3x6 Select pine board – One
- 8mm Hex head bolts (50mm long) – Two
- 8mm Hex head bolts (60mm long) – Four
- 8mm Hex nuts – Six
- Tab top curtain panels (84″ long) – Two
- Sandpaper (120 grit)
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Staple gun
- Drill
02. Summer No Sew Play Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
Bright and colourful
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Oly-Fun bolts in kiwi, sky blue, orange crush, cherry pop, and sea green
- Staple gun
- 8′ by 2″ wood pieces – Four
- 4’6″ by 2″ wood pieces – Three
- Spray paint
- Screws
- Nails
03. Simple Play Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
As there’s no pattern (just measure, cut and sew) this one’s a cakewalk for beginners
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1/2 yard 60-inch wide fabric (fleece, stretch bottom weight, et al) – Four
- 1 yard coordinating fabric
- 1-inch PVC pipes (cut down to 6 feet) – Four
- Caps for PVC pipes – 8
- Yarn, twine, or a shoelace
04. PVC Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
Its large size comfortably accommodates two children with their treasury of toys or books… albeit it is small enough to be comfortably push through standard-sized door frames; thereby nullifying the need to dismantle it to aid mobility.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Pipes:
- 40″ long pieces of 1/2″ PVC pipe (for the sides on floor, sides of the roof and top of roof) – Five
- 33″ long pieces of 1/2″ PVC pipe (for the walls) – Four
- 24 1/2″ long pieces of 1/2″ PVC pipe (for the front and back floor pieces) – Two
- 17 1/2″ long pieces of 1/2″ PVC pipe (for the roof) – Four
- 3/4″ long pieces of 1/2″ PVC pipe (for connecting the two fittings where the walls and the roof meet) – Four
Fittings:
- 1/2″ 90-degree PVC sch 40 side outlet elbow (with their all three sides non-threaded) – Six
- 1/2″ 90-degree PVC sch 40 tee (top of each wall) – Four
- 1/2″ 45-degree PVC sch 40 slip elbow (on top of each tee) – Four
Other Items:
- Pipe cutter
- Paint
- Polyurethane spray
05. Pom-Pom Play Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
The perfect tool for a slumber party!
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 5″x.75″ boards cut to 51″ long
- 75″ round dowel 48″ long – One
- Twin size sheet – One
- Sticky back sets of Velcro – Four
- Drill (with 0.75″ hole saw attachment)
- Measuring tape
06. Outdoor Play Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
Extremely easy-to-assemble and roll up post playing; this play tent can be put together in an afternoon
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Spray paint
- Some ribbon or string
- Bandanas – 16
- Electrical conduit fittings
- 25 mm or 1″ electrical PVC conduit pipe – These need to be cut into four pieces measuring 104 cm or 41″ and one piece measuring 106 cm or 41 3/4″
- 3-way Elbow PVC fittings – Two
07. No Sew Teepee
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
As the name suggests it does not require sewing and can stay throughout the year
- WHAT YOU NEED:
- 3/4″ x 10′ thick-walled PVC pipes – Six
- 3/4″ PVC couplings – Six
- 3/4″ PVC caps – Six
- 9′ x 12′ canvas drop cloth
- Wood grain Con-Tact Paper
- Super Heat’n Bond iron-on adhesive
- Package (8 count) 5/8″ heavy duty snaps/tools – One
- 1/4″ sisal rope
- Duct tape
- Saw
- Iron
- Hot glue
- Marker
- Paint
- Fabric scissors
- Hammer
08. Necktie Play Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
Personalized and best way to repurpose neckties!
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Sewing machine
- McCall’s Sewing Pattern M5827 for play canopy
- Hula hoop
- Fabric for tent and cushion inside tent
- Batting for cushion
- Men’s neckties – Around 35
- Ribbon, fray check, and fabric marker (in case you want to tag the ties)
- Straight pins and a needle
- Scissors
- Thread (multiple colours to sync with the colours of the ties)
- Small piece of wool (felt)
- Buttons – 2 large buttons
09. Little Play Teepee
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
The conical and slim shape which lends it a sleek and compact look
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 3/4″ x 8′ PVC pipes – Four
- Measuring tape
- PVC pipe cutters
- Painters tape
- Spray paint colours of your choice – Two
- Rope
- Length of fabric (about 57″ x 98″) / a curtain panel
- Safety pin
10. Lace Teepee
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
A touch of exquisiteness to a wigwam!
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Lace for the bottom fabric (smaller print) – Four Yards
- Lace for the top fabric and flap (larger print) – Three Yards
- 1×2″x8′ poles (a material stronger than pine to ensure that it doesn’t sag under the weight of your cover) – Six
- Drill and 3/8″ drill bit
- 1/2″ woven rope – Six-Nine Feet
- 1/2″ elastic – One Yard
- Yarn or ribbon – Two Yards
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Iron
- Ironing board
11. Hula Hoop Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
A polished version of tents, canopies, teepees and forts
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Fabric for the drapes – Six Yards
- Fabric for the top of the tent – Around Two Yards
- Hula hoop
- Velcro (heavy duty, non-adhesive type)
- Hook (to hang your tent from the ceiling)
- Straight pins
- Fabric scissors
- Fabric pencil
- Border template
- Sewing machine
12. Collapsible Play Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
It can be assembled in a jiffy and post playing can fold flat and be set aside or even dismantled and stored aside
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Fabric – 5 Yards
- 1″ x 2″ boards (4 feet long) – Four
- Ribbon (cut into 16 pieces, that are 30 inches long each) – 14 Yards
- 4-feet long wooden dowels (1/2″ in diameter) – Three
- Drill (with a 1/2″ drill bit)
- Sewing machine and basic sewing supplies
13. Canvas Play Tent
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
Relatively easy DIY as it requires some basic tools and a tad of basic woodworking experience
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 4×5′ canvas drop cloths- Two
- 8′ 1×2 boards – Six
- 2 1/2 inch screws- Eight
- 1 1/4″ screws- Sixteen
- Jute twine
- Stain
- Sandpaper
- Mitre saw
- Drill
- Sander
- Staple gun
14. Blanket Fort
USP – Unique Selling Proposition:
Provides you with the flexibility of customizing it to the likes of your child and the material available at your disposal
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Blankets
- Sheets
- Couch cushions
- Dining room chairs
- Tall table
- Clothes pins
- Clamps
- Clothes line
- Books (to hold blankets and sheets in place)
- Chip clips
- Rubber bands
- Duct tape
Well we’ve got you started with sharing the USPs and material required for fourteen DIY children’s play tents and teepees … now the moment you get a couple of days off from work you simply need to search on the internet for a step-by-step process to build the one your child has set his/her heart on. Trust us it’s quite an easy task to set up these wigwams. And hey…the fourteen play tent ideas given in this blog are just the tip of the iceberg … there are a plethora of options available! So go ahead and use the internet for something more creative then attending a professional meeting and who knows post preparing the play tent for your child you may be flooded with requests from his/her friends for building one for them too; and even if you don’t get any such requests just think of the wide grin this play tent will bring to the face of your child and for all you know the wigwam may also turn out to be your oasis in the midst of a stressful day of work…?
We hope this DIY project is helpful to you in some way. If you’re looking for more DIY projects for your home, it can be found by clicking the link below:
10 DIY Interior Decoration Ideas for Your Home That You Must Try!
20 DIY Garden Edging Ideas that Can Make the Outdoors Pleasing!
DIY Fire Pits … Easy and Cost-effective Solutions to Chilly Winters!
Image Courtesy: Image 2, Image 4, Image 5, Image 9, Image 10, Image 11, Image 12, Image 13, Image 14
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.
