Build A Sunflower Fort with Your Kids

Kids love building forts. In our neighborhood, we would use the bamboo cane from my family’s backyard to build a teepee-like structure and then cover it with sheets to make a secret hiding place. One summer, my daughter wanted to use scrap plywood to build a clubhouse in the backyard. We cobbled something together and she painted it with the help of some neighborhood kids. Yes, it killed the grass in that spot, but only temporarily. From treehouses to blankets over chairs in the living room, kids are drawn to creating their own spaces. As the weather warms up, you may be thinking of planting a garden. Get your kids involved by making a sunflower fort.

Here’s how you do it:

1. You’ll need a space that is sunny (6-8 hours a day) and big enough to plant giant sunflowers. 

2. Plan your space. It can be a circle or a rectangle. The diameter of the ring or rectangle will be the size of the fort, so 8-10 feet is a rule of thumb. 

3. Dig about a foot-wide area around the perimeter to plant the seeds. Get rid of grass, rocks or other debris. You might add some compost to the planting area. 

4. Plant seeds about 6” apart around the perimeter. Leave an opening for the entry!

Make sure you have giant sunflower seeds – there are different types of sunflowers. It’s fun to plant smaller versions along with the giant sunflowers as that will help fill in the area around the giant flower’s stalks. Plant seeds about ½” deep. I also saw an article in the Los Angeles Times that suggested planting Morning Glories among the sunflowers because they will twist up through the stalks.

5. Cover the seeds and keep them watered. 

6. Watch them grow. As they get taller, you may want to give them some support with stakes. 

Once the sunflowers are high enough, the heavy yellow heads will form a roof, giving kids some cool shade on hot summer days. What a perfect place to read!

Do you have any fun gardening with kids ideas? Share them!