Fort Building
Fort building is one of those creative play activities that can be done from ages 2 (with lots of help!) up to the teen years.
When my sons were little adventurers, they delighted in creating enchanted forts - whether at school, in our backyard, or right in the heart of our home. I discovered that having supplies neatly tucked away nearby sparked their imaginations, leading to frequent building sprees. Our living room often transformed into a fantastical construction zone, where sofa cushions became sturdy walls, kitchen chairs turned into towering turrets, and every sheet and blanket was draped like the finest silken canopies. Soon, the entire space beneath became a secret hideaway, where they and the neighborhood children would crawl in, bringing along their favorite toys and books, ready to embark on the grandest of adventures.
Our Playclips are small and easy for children to use to build their own magical fort! They will clip and securely hold Playsilks, blankets, and sheets onto tables, chairs and sofas.
Our new Playforts are the newest addition to our fort building collection. We've heard from parents and teachers how much they love how lightweight and easy the Playfort set is to build and take apart - each Playfort set comes in its own canvas bag for easy storage! See how our friend Liz and her little ones put together and decorated their Playfort here.
Secret play forts are magical places where childhood memories are made. Being given the autonomy to help create their own play space is incredibly meaningful for children - and with simple fort building tools like Playsilks and Playclips, it's easy for them to bring their dream play space to life!
I hope you'll share some ideas of how your children build forts in the comments below. We will randomly choose one winner that will receive a Playfort Kit of your choice on 8/19.
Everyone who enters will also receive a coupon code for 30% of Playforts on 8/19 through email.
We love seeing the many ways our community uses Playsilks to make their own beautiful forts! Indoors and outdoors, big and small, here are a few examples to inspire your next fort building adventure:
Left to right:
My kids have built forts out of anything they can find. When we first moved into our new house they made a castle out of our moving boxes. When we had to throw those out, we built one outside out of fallen sticks (which somehow still stands today 3 years later). In the house my older two build houses with couch cushions and blankets. Sometimes even just the space under the foot rest of the recliner or table becomes a cave. When they aren’t building for themselves they build for their toys. I think it’s just an innate thing in kids to want to build places of imagination.
Kayleigh w on
My son is too young to make his own fort but we play under blankets and pillows and have the best time. I can’t wait until he is a little older and we can build a beautiful silk fort!
Julie Goldstein on
My kiddos love to throw their playsilks on our piklar triangle to make a fort out of! This play fort would make an awesome addition to their little fort
Savannah Nielson on
My daughter loves building forts out of her nugget couch and blankets. It’s so much fun to watch her use her imagination.
Nicole Chagnon on
My children love to build forts so much! We currently find different object around the house such as stools, cushions and blankets/ bedsheets. I love to see their imaginations at play and I know this would add a sprinkle of magic to play time!
Deann on
My daughters like to use their silks and clips and make a fort under the stairs. Then they fill it with pillows and blankets and play hide from the dragon!
Betsy Dionne on
My son (5) loves forts. He first built one with his cousins while we were staying in a cabin in a state park. They found old logs and sticks and built quite the retreat. Then I showed him how we could build them at home using chairs and blankets and our sofa. Yesterday I came home and he had built his own by draping a blanket over his plush chair and the side of our couch. He was reading inside and had used his blankie as the door :)
Grace Arnold on
My kids build forts out nugget comfort couches and we use the play silks as windows and rugs! I think it would super fun to have the playfort to build with outside and be able to see the silk blowing in the wind.
Patricia on
We’ve used the climbing triangle, and our wooden play yard area to make forts with sheets, silk and anything else our 3 year old can find. Fort-building is a favorite of ours!
Emily on
My daughter has a tall headboard and likes to turn her bed into a fort for her and all of her stuffed animals!
Tara Fairman on
We build forts with our pickler and silks! We love letting our kiddo come up with the ideas of how he wants his fort today!
Meg Nikolaeva on
My kids loved building forts and castles with sofa cushions, high-back chairs, and the silks for doors and the roof. The clips made it easy to attach where needed!
Marian on