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Stories from my personal journey learning about and delivering Nature-rooted programs across three different countries

How to make a hammock with sticks and string...

Caylin (Forest Schooled)
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One of my favourite things is when you spontaneously have enough time to work on a really cool project. This past week at camp we had a few spare hours with a group of 8-14 year olds to hang out in the woods. A few of the kids were looking for something to do and, having noticed from previous activities that they were particularly into tying knots, I suggested something bold... I said, “Want to try to make a hammock?”

They looked at me a little confused and asked, “How can we make a hammock?”

I'd been shown a method before and, though I'd never tried it myself, I had enough knowledge to at least give it a shot. So I said, “All we need is some sticks and string!”

With their curiosity sparked, they were eager to see what the heck I was talking about, so the group of us went off to find some materials. Then, step by step, we worked together to make a pretty decent hammock if I say so myself!

It was such a wonderful project for us all to work on together and it only took about 45 minutes in total to complete. The kids were incredibly proud of their hard work and, though it wasn't the strongest hammock, they got to enjoy some very gentle use out of it for awhile. They were so excited about what they learned they said they were going to try to make a bigger one at home using stronger materials, like paracord, in the future.

And they didn't waste anytime putting their new skill to good use.. I caught them using the method to make netting for their shelters later in the week too!
I recorded each step of the way for our hammock-making venture and thought I'd share how we did it with all of you. Here's a video demonstrating how to make a hammock like ours with sticks and string! I also put together more detailed instructions in PDF format which you can download here. Enjoy! :)
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