Car Port Fort

The sun is a great thing, but so much direct sun is hard on car and hard on kids who are playing for long periods of time.  In the past we tried to use sheet over the car or a burlap tarp hung above it.  I decided it was time to build something sturdier, but couldn't go for the expense of building the somewhat common metal "carport."  My solution was to build a tree-fort out of much cheaper former-trees, with one floor for kids to play on and a roof to protect them and the floor and the car below even better.  Since my parents were coming for Christmas, I had both free skilled labor and someone to bring the types of bolts and screws we would need for our car-port fort Christmas present.  

The structure was a big undertaking to start with, but I it made it even tougher than we expected to build it out of rough tree branches/trunks.  With the natural bends and knobs of the wood it meant everything needed to be a different length and everything is a little crooked.  But we saved close to $200 doing it that way, and in the end everything worked well, so it was worth it.  Our friends have compared it to a Swiss Family Robinson feeling tree fort with the real feel of being in a tree as it sways in the wind...  Exciting features include a tin roof (from our old chicken coop), a burlap side screen for sun protection and secrecy (the former car tarp), and a set of twisting monkey bars (the actual bars came from the US as well)!  The idea of building a structure for kids to play in does not resonate with people here, but our kids are loving it, and it's keeping our car nice and cool.

-- El Padre