60 min
One Box, Anything
A big box, some tape, and no instructions whatsoever.
🏕
Build a Blanket Fort
Every blanket in the house, one afternoon, one secret headquarters.
A fort is not really an activity. It is a place where three more activities happen afterwards.
Ce qu’il vous faut
- blankets and sheets
- dining chairs
- cushions
- clothes pegs
- a torch
Comment faire
- Move two or three chairs into a loose square.
- Drape sheets across them and peg the corners so they hold.
- Fill the floor with cushions and one blanket.
- Add a torch and a couple of books.
- Leave them to it. The fort is the point, not what happens inside.
Pourquoi c’est bon pour eux
Building an enclosed space gives children something they rarely have, which is somewhere that belongs to them and that adults cannot easily enter. The engineering problem of making a roof stay up is real, and they will solve it themselves if you let them.
Adapter selon l’âge
3 to 4 yearsBuild it for them and let them decorate it.
9 to 12 yearsHand over the whole build with one rule: nothing may lean on the television.
Sécurité
Nothing heavy overhead, and keep it clear of heaters, lamps and candles.
Astuce rangement
Agree the takedown time before you start building.
Dans le même esprit
60 min
Invent a Board Game
They design the board, write the rules, and then make you play it.
75 min
Make a Shadow Theatre
A cardboard frame, a white sheet, a lamp, and a proper show.
30 min
Learn a Proper Card Game
Teach them a game adults actually play.
60 min
Make Celebration Decorations
Paper chains, lanterns and bunting made from what is in the recycling.
30 min
Paint a Pebble
Find a smooth stone, paint it, leave it somewhere for a stranger.