Bedroom into a Castle
Every parent knows that we’ve all had that desire for a playdate in a fort as a child. Well, luckily for you, we can teach you how to turn your bedroom into a playdate castle with everything you already have at home. This is a great activity that will keep your kids busy for hours on end.
Spare Sheets
First off, you want to find an area on the floor in the bedroom between two furniture pieces. Not against each other, but with some space in between, enough for the kid(s) to play in. These furniture pieces will hold up the sheets.
Depending on how big you want your fortress to be, one or two sheets should be enough. Place one end of your sheet on one piece of furniture. Keep this in place with a couple of books or heaving objects. You can also tie the sheet to the furniture. Grab the other end of your sheet and do the same thing with the other piece of furniture. Now you should have a sort of roof over the area on the floor.
If your first sheet was not big enough to your liking, you could add another sheet. Follow the same steps as mentioned, hold the sheets in place with a heavy object.
Cardboard boxes
If you want to create more space for the fort, it is possible to use cardboard boxes. The boxes will also make the fort more stable. Stack a couple of boxes, so they reach the height of your desire. Place the ends of the sheets on top of the boxes and use something heavy to hold them into place.
You could also cut out one side of the cardboard box and place it between the floor and the draped sheet. It will act as a stand and will keep the sheet from draping down too low. The sheet will sit just above your head when you and your child(ren) are inside. To make this process more fun, you and your child could paint the cardboard boxes before you set up the fort. Then you will have a fort with painted walls. It also makes the space much more unique for your child.
Big blankets
Once you have the walls and roof of your fort set up, you can place a big blanket or rug inside to make it a comfortable space. This is optional if you have a carpeted floor. However, it adds to the coziness of the space. You can use a blanket from the children’s bed. It will make them feel more at home and will make the fort customized.
If you have a spare blanket, the children could also use it to cover them if the weather is cold, perfect for snuggling up to keep each other warm. Keep in mind that after having your blankets on the floor, you will want to wash the blankets before using them again when finished with the fort.
Fluffy pillows and cushions
To stabilize the fort’s structure, you can take some cushions from the couch and place them against the furniture pieces. These will also act as a pillar, so your draped sheets don’t fall too low. They will also make the space comfortable to lean on once inside. You can also throw in a bunch of sleeping pillows or cushions! Make sure your pillows are clean before they go back on the beds.
A great but simple way to keep your home clean and the room smelling nice is to freshen up your pillows. The kids can use these to sleep on or watch movies on; this will increase the quality and comfort of the fort. The fort can become a space of rest for the children. However, you still want to make sure they aren’t spending all their time in there playing technology.
Unbox your Christmas lights
Christmas or fairy lights will be the one added piece of decorations that will make your child in love with their at-home castle. If there is a power outlet on the wall next to the fort, you are in luck. However, if you don’t have one, you can always use an extension cord. You want to take safety precautions and make sure the power outlet or extension cord is outside of the fort or out of the reach of children.
The lights can hang outside of the fort, around the sheets, or on the furniture. This will allow the lights to be seen from inside the fort and still be out of reach if the children want to pull them down. Once you turn off the lights inside the room, the Christmas or fairy lights will create a warm ambiance that will amaze the kids and make them even more excited to spend time in their at-home castle.