How to Make a Clubhouse in a Closet

So it's winter, and your kids have nowhere to go. They're bored and they don't have their own space. If you have a closet that's not too messy--especially their own--they can empty it or shift the contents to use it as their very own clubhouse.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Pillows
• Boxes
• Decorations
• "Furniture"
• Signs and lists

1. Push the clothes on hangers to the outer edges of the closet, or move some to another closet temporarily. Move anything on the floor of the closet to the top shelf or under the bed. If you have a laundry hamper, move it into another closet for now. You should have a pretty empty floor and enough space for the kids to stand up in the closet.
2. Take 2 bed pillows for each chair you would like in your clubhouse. Lay one on the floor and one against the wall of the closet to make a soft "chair". One chair will fit in each side of the closet.
3. Use upside-down cardboard boxes as shelves to hold important things, or use an upside-down drawer as a wooden table. Let kids insert what they need for their clubhouse like books, diaries, toys, a reading light (if an electrical outlet is available), a clock and a boombox.
4. Let the kids name the club, then make signs and lists to hang on the outside of the doors. They might make a "Friends" or "Members" list to designate who is allowed to enter.
5. Let the kids use a secret code that one has to call out before they're allowed to enter. Lucky parents can use it too.

Tips & Warnings

• Glow in the dark shirts are fun to try in the closet clubhouse.
• Young kids may wish to keep the doors or one door slightly open.
• Parents can guide the kids in decorating empty hangers or walls.
• Only parents should plug and unplug any reading lamp into the outlet. You need to decide if kids are old enough to handle this part.