wattlebird

dulceetdecorus:

Blanket Forts

A blanket fort is fun to play in and easy to build. You can use a bunk bed, dining table, chairs, a flipped-over couch or other household items (with a parent’s permission). Put blankets over all of the open areas that let light in, and bring a flashlight in with you. Tell scary stories with friends late at night (or during the day if the blankets block enough light) you can even have a sleepover in it. Block extra holes by stuffing cushions, pillows, or crumpled-up blankets in the cracks,but make sure that they can hold up nice and strong. Have fun in your fort!

1. Choose an area that is out of the way of things that would make it a big mess.You may wish to keep your fort for several days or maybe just an hour, but still do not put it in the middle of a busy hallway where lots of people go, and don’t use items that somebody in the house might need to use before your fort is taken down.
2. Collect a few chairs and large sheets or lightweight blankets. You could also use the back of a sofa, tables, or any other furniture that is easy to use. Also there are small places that you can build a fort. At the end of your bed you can make a tent looking thing. Basically look for places that can hold blankets well. Also don’t make your fort near an outlet unless you need a lamp, although a spark might light your fort on fire.
3. Place your chairs in a big circle. You don’t want them crashing down on you.
4. Use safety pins, elastics or pegs to connect sheets and blankets together to keep the sheets from falling down. Using rubber bands to tie blankets to chairs is also a good way to keep them from falling down.
5. Drape the sheets and blankets over the top of the chairs. Don’t put the blankets on the edge of chairs or they’ll fall out. Use rubber bands or clothespins to keep the blankets on, if you need to. If it looks good enough, keep it as is.
6. Create a door. So that you can get in and out easily, without having to take it apart.
   
   
   • Leave an opening on the side of your fort for a door. If there is no room to leave an opening, you may have to make space for a door.
   • Leave an opening at the front and back of your fort for an entrance and an exit.
7. Place books or heavy objects along the edges of the sheets and blankets to hold them in place so they won’t tilt and fall.
8. Add a blanket and a few pillows inside to sit on. Grab a DVD player, an Mp3 Player, or anything fun to do and enjoy while enjoying the comfort of your fort.
9. Invite a friend to join you if your fort is large enough. Grab a few snacks and play a game. Have a sleepover. Use flashlights.
10. Make your fort as simple or elaborate as you like. Build a few different rooms, if you want. Furnish your fort. You can use kid-sized furniture if you have it or improvise with pillows and cardboard boxes.
11. Find an epic name for your fort (e.g “MOUNT OLYMPUS”)
12. Grab a snack to eat inside your fort. You never know how long you’ll stay in there.
13. Or you can make a fort with chairs and clothespins. You will also need a blanket. Put a blanket or quilt on the ground (Use a quilt because it’s softer to sit on). Then put a chair on each corner of the blanket. Put a blanket on the chairs. This is creating a roof for your fort. Then, get some clothespins and pin the blanket to the chairs.
14. If you want a fort with walls, take some small blankets and pin them on the roof blanket so they create a wall effect. Repeat for other walls.

Tips:

• Sheets work best to provide more light and air.
• Use a battery-powered lantern or flashlight inside your fort. Set it on the floor, or see if you can build it into the top of the blanket fort.
• Use extra chairs, sheets and blankets to make a house of separate rooms.
• Make walls by hanging sheets and blankets inside the fort.
• Cover gaps and spaces with towels or pillow cases.
• Try using other kinds of furniture, such as a couch or table.
• Once inside, you can clip the door closed with clothespins or hold it closed with rubber bands or more books or cushions at the bottom.
• If you have a bed in the middle of your room then put chairs around the side and get some string to connect the blankets to the chairs.
• Have fun pretending. Your fort could be your pirate cave, your bear den, your clubhouse, your castle, your tea room, or anything else you want it to be.
• Large pillows have lots of uses in blanket forts. Use them inside for seats, or use them as part of the structure of the fort.
• Take in a portable radio and listen to music in your fort.
• Stuffed animals and dolls make nice friends if you can’t invite your real people friends over.
• You can also bring a portable fan if it gets hot.
• If you have board games or guess who that would be good to bring into your fort.
• You can use a pillow for a door so you can open the door and close it.
• To complete some of the tasks you may need a helper.
• Make sure your brother or sister stays out of the room or bad things will happen.
• If you don’t have a flashlight you can use electric candles.
• Make it high enough where if you try to sit up it won’t fall over.