Parents can teach kids the values of patience, dedication, cooperation, and resilience in many ways. Children need these values as they grow up to be members of society. One excellent activity you can do with your kids is building a cabin!
No one can understate the benefits of time spent in nature. You get to breathe fresh air, and you can get some exercise lugging around all your equipment.
If you’re ready to do this, here are six steps to follow:
Step 1. Determine What You Want in a Family Cabin Project
When you build a cabin, you’ll need to make some crucial decisions. Here are some decisions you’ll have to make during this project:
- What size of cabin do you want?
- How many rooms and bathrooms will it have?
- What features will it have? For example, will the kitchen be open or closed off from the living room?
You also need to pick a cabin location that suits your needs and wants. Your family might live in an area with lots of forested lands where you can quickly build one. If not, now’s the time to scout out possible areas for construction, including your backyard. You can always start with a small one like a shed and expand it later.
Step 2. Sketch Out Your Ideas and Create a Project Plan
You might be great at sketching out your cabin ideas on paper, or you might prefer to create a project plan on the computer. Whether you use pencil and paper or design software, include all your thoughts about how the cabin will look from start to finish.
To make it even more engaging, involve your kids in the process. They can create a “mood board” with cabin interiors and exteriors magazine clippings. Or they can draw their ideas for the cabin project on paper and then scan them into the computer. They can also take photos of them with an iPhone or digital camera so you can incorporate them into your plan.
You also have to create a budget for your cabin project. Use online calculators to help determine your budget. These tools will help you set up a budget and spending plan. That way, you don’t go over the top when it comes time to purchase materials.
Include landscape maintenance costs in your budget and recurring annual expenses such as insurance, utilities, appliances, heating fuel, and air conditioning service.
Step 3. Purchase the Materials You Need
You’ll need a lot of supplies for your cabin building project. First, you need tools like drills and hammers to construct the cabin itself. It’s also an excellent idea to have some basic hand tools.
One of these is a battery-operated chainsaw. This tool helps trim young trees and stray branches in the yard. They are easy to handle and quiet to operate, so they don’t startle and annoy kids.
You should also purchase plenty of wood, glass, and other building materials. Get durable materials like cedar or pressure-treated lumber for all exterior walls. Aluminum flashing is another good choice because it lasts longer than other metals.
You’ll also need building materials like lumber, nails, shingles, insulation, sheets of plastic for covering your roof when it rains, and more. You might want to order cabinetry or custom-made furniture online for interior finishing. You can even find whole prefabricated rooms for your cabin that.
Step 4. Furnish and Decorate Your Cabin to Your Liking
Once you’ve built the cabin, your kids will love decorating and furnishing it with their personal touches. For example, add a comfy reading chair or two to the living room. Some good choices are overstuffed chairs with ottomans and soft pillows on them.
Purchase a small dining room table and chairs or custom-made ones if you have the equipment to do so. If not, consider putting in a more casual dining area with a kitchen island topped with butcher block or another durable material.
Make your family cabin more fun by hanging up wall art of deer, bears, and other woodland creatures. They can even go one step further by painting murals of these animals on the walls to bring the forest theme into their cabin living room or bedroom.
Your kids might also enjoy making decorative accessories for their family cabin, like dreamcatchers, vases filled with wildflowers, colorful wind chimes, and wooden toys.
Step 5. Enjoy the Cabin!
The best part about building your cabin is finally enjoying it with your kids. Invite friends and family over to visit. Have a cookout on the grill, play board games together, roast marshmallows around a bonfire or fire pit, watch movies in the media room, or just relax with a cup of coffee on the front porch.
Your kids can even decorate their family cabin with holiday decorations for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and any other season they want to celebrate.
Family cabin projects are fun for entire families. They teach teamwork and responsibility and allow kids to show off their creative skills in decorating the cabin or building outdoor furniture. Most importantly, they help establish a place that everyone in the family can call a cozy retreat.
