I'm a great big fan of forts. I remember building and living in them fondly as a child and was once known to have slept under a little desk for years. I remember the makeshift camp well. It was simple and white and had an arch between the legs that reminded me of a Hobbit-house door. I stuffed it with pillows and my favorite blanket, Boogie. I loved hanging out in my little cove and would play and read books and eventually fall asleep underneath the old wooden table. My name, Souris, means "mouse" in French and I referred to that little table as, "Mouse's house". I think I may have even written this on one side of the desk.
My fun memories of playing with my makeshift fort and with future living room forts with my four siblings are so vivid that I wish for Lulu to have as much fun hanging out under unstable architecture as I once did.
Shortly after Lulu turned two, I started assembling our living room furniture together so that she would have a place to hide and play. A place to rest quietly or escape from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. She was initially curious about my pushing and pulling furniture together but it only took her a second to make herself at home. Lulu immediately knew what to do. She is, after all, an expert in cardboard box-pretend-play. She quickly settled in and claimed her space.
Now when I start pushing furniture around, Lulu runs to help me assemble her fortress of fun. If you own pillows, blankets, and furniture, you have all the makings for a fun afternoon or all day activity. If you're serious about keeping your shelter intact, you might want clip your blankets, especially if your four-legged roommates are big fans of the canopies too (our one cat loves forts too).
For further fort-inspiration, check out Living Room Fort, a site my grown-up-kid-cousin Wendy recently shared with me. And please, do yourself a favor and build yourself an indoor/outdoor tent. Take time to hang in it and I promise it'll make you smile.
Next up (eventually), the tire swing and a tree house... a kid can dream!
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