Hobbies And Interests
Landscape Hideouts
Kids who don't have a lot of acreage to roam must make do with what a home landscape has to provide, but there can be plenty of options to make a hideout. Many homeowners grow dense evergreen bushes such as privet, juniper and arborvitae for privacy. Although the exterior of these bushes appears dense and bushy, the middle of a group of bushes often features an open space that would make an ideal hideout. Leaves and rocks can be raked away, and a tarp can provide a clean play surface. A full circle of bushes isn't required to make a suitable hideout; look for an area of bushes planted near a fence or next to the house and you may find a small space that can be used as a hideout.
Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons are bushy evergreens with species that grow in the wild and some that are tame for domestic use. The broad, thick leaves remain on the bush year-round and, when several are grouped together, provide almost total camouflage in the middle. These bushes have large pink blossoms in spring that provide further screening from the outside. Some wild varieties, such as the giant rhododendron or mountain laurel, can grow to be 20 feet tall, ensuring that the hideout has plenty of headroom for standing up. Look for a group of rhododendrons that grow around several large rocks and the hideout will have its own seating, requiring little preparation.
Berry Bushes
Berry bushes, such as blackberries and raspberries, grow in dense thickets when they are not pruned. Getting inside a group of these bushes may be a difficult at first, because they are covered in sharp stickers. Simply trim a few of the canes -- the name for a berry bush's branch or stalk -- to make an entrance hole at the bottom, and entry will be a breeze. The long canes are covered in leaves from spring to fall; when the plants have fruit, the weighted canes bend over to form a natural arch to shelter the hideout from above. One of the best parts of using berry bushes for a hideout is that there is an easy food source for one or two months of summer.
Waterproofing
If a hideout is to be used frequently, it must have some type of shelter from the rain. The foliage will provide some natural waterproofing, especially on the sides, but you'll need to block water from above. There are several easy options for waterproofing a bush hideout. You can stretch a large green tarp over the top of the bush and tie it to a tree so it doesn't blow away. The green tarp provides some camouflage, however a tarp may be impractical for very tall bushes like rhododendrons. If the opening in the middle of the bushes is fairly small, you can get some shelter with an umbrella or two. You should be able to open the umbrella and position it between some branches to hold, although tying it off is a good idea.