How to Build Blanket Forts

Building forts with blankets, pillow, couch cushions, and whatever else we could find was a highlight of my youth. I loved pretending that I am in a magical place and could disappear into my own imagination when I entered my fort. My own kids now love forts as they can spend rainy days with something exciting to do when they are missing their favorite outdoor activities.

This is currently mine and my kids favorite fort. I use a large duvet cover, the one I have is a queen but I am on the lookout for a cheap king sized one for fort building. I also use a large fan that I place at the opening of the duvet. I put the fan on top of the bottom part of the fan and I use a single clothespin to secure the top.

The opening is still big enough for the kids to crawl in and out of. The higher the fan speed they more wind is captured in the duvet and the "bigger" it will appear. My kids bring flashlight and books into this one and read.

There is a rule that no fingers go near the fan or the fort is taken down. Since I have two kids they usually tattle on each other pretty quickly. We haven't had a single problem with this fort though because they enjoy it so much they don't want to break the rule. Although I would like to stress my kids are old enough to know and comprehend why they need to follow the rule. This may not be the best fort for kids under 3 unless they are supervised.

The nest fort is a creation of my son having pneumonia and being bedridden for several days. We pushed the two coaches together - although they are different sizes and draped blankets over the top of the two coached. This created a comfy, dark nest for the sick boy to quietly play and nap in while mommy worked form home.

Using ropes to string blankets around the room help give height and a new dimension to your forts. Try tying the rope to doorknobs, furniture, and other heavy unmovable objects. I do not recommend tying the rope to things like curtain rods that will easily break or come off the wall.

Make sure when you put the blankets over the rope that the rope is tied securely and that the blanket is not to heavy for whatever object it is tied too.

The mega blanket fort is composed of as many blanket that can possibly be found and as large of a space as possible, creating different fort rooms and tunnels can help create an exciting mega blanket fort. This is create for when there is a larger group of people playing in the fort. Achieving the mega blanket fort may require the rearranging of furniture, clothes pins, and ropes to create the over effect of the fort.

Be creative in your fort building. This is about using what you have and creating memories for your kids in the process. Have fun and build a fort!