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, closed! Melissa Alfred you won!
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 kiddos love building forts – for hiding and for jumping around. They use anything they can get their hands on – blankets, sheets, clamps, chairs, cushions. It’s so fun to see what they come up with. Little do they know I have some silks stashed away for our Slumberkins Camp we’ll be starting next week! 🌎🌙⭐️🪐 So excited to see how creative they’ll get – as these will be their first silks. 😍
Ashley Riley on
Lately, the prefered fort has been the piklar triangle covered in silks. ⛺️
Katy on
My kiddos use quilts all over our trampoline to make forts.
Brea Jimenez on
My little one has loved to build forts anywhere since the beginning. From between couch and coffee table, to over their bed, to on a play stand – they love pretending to be hiding from wolves in a cave, or slithering through a cavern like a snake. Love making forts and their own little habitat and hates taking it down.
Francine on
My five year old daughter loves to make forts out of blankets and chairs. She hides under them for secret tea parties with her dolls and reads books. It is a quiet place for her to explore, learn, and play.
Jacquelyn on
Most recently my childhood have made an animal clinic to care for their stuffed animals, a stage for their productions, and a pond scene for a story telling show. Love the inspiration the kids get with Sarah’s silks and watching the creativity bloom!
Robyn Roberts on
My child loves to build forts and then snuggle up inside with a good book!
McKinsey on
My little one uses the back of the couch, chairs, playsilks and blankets, pillows, the nugget couch, and play clips. We love to read books with a flashlight in between hiding out from nearby dragons!
Stevi on
My little one loves forts. We like to set up chairs in the living room and drape long sheets over the chairs and couches, to make a series of forts or an elaborate system of tunnels. Getting the sheets to stay up even when bumped (by little heads crawling or standing) has been the biggest challenge. Excited to check out the play clips. :~)
Suz on
My daughter loves building forts with her nugget couch, the dining room chairs, and every blanket she can get her hands on. My husband in particular loves helping her construct elaborate forts and is always so sad when she demolishes them
Lauren on
Making forts outside for daytime camping. Making forts out of their bunk beds and chairs in their bedroom is another favorite.
WEN on
Mine have naturally begun building play forts from blankets and pillows and couch cushions from age 3. We have 3 now, and they all participate in making the fort a secret hideaway, tunnel to adventures, or cozy caves for all their favorite animals and dolls. They have tea parties and picnics—one of the best tools for imagination!
Cassie on