How to Make a Fort out of Blankets

Use these to make a fort.

Rainy days or long summer afternoons are the perfect times to build a fort out of blankets. Kids love to have a secret space all their own that they can pretend is a cave or clubhouse. All you need are a bunch of old blankets and some pillows (and a hefty dose of imagination on the part of your kids). You can build the fort from a dinner table, an air-hockey table, a set of bunk beds, a couch, chairs or other living-room furniture. There are as many varieties as there are children to make them up.

Things You'll Need

• Blankets
• Pillows
• Flashlight
• Sleeping bag

Instructions

1. Gather a bunch of blankets. Be sure to choose blankets that you don't mind getting dirty.

2. Help your children look around the house for the perfect spot for their fort. A set of bunk beds makes for the easiest fort. Drape blankets from the top bunk so that they hang down on all sides and enclose the bottom bunk.

3. A dining room table is a good fort area, too, and the higher the table, the better. Drape the blankets over the table. If you're using living-room furniture, you may need to add high-backed chairs in strategic areas to hold the blankets high enough. Make sure the blanket is large enough, or that the furniture is close enough together, so that the blanket drapes to the floor. This will help keep it dark inside the fort.

4. Inside the fort, lay down a sleeping bag, pillows and blankets to make a soft floor. Let your kids take a flashlight inside the fort to read with or to do hand shadows.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have enough blankets, use sheets.

• Pop some popcorn and let your children eat in their new secret cave.

• Supervise the children while they play in the fort. If furniture is being used to hold up the blankets, they could fall over should the kids bump into them.

References

• Blessings From Home: Building a Great Fort with Blankets