Ah, to be a grown-up. Get up at 7, go to work, come home, watch Eastenders – rinse and repeat. We’re just kidding – we know there’s more to life than that. But isn’t it a shame that at some point, that infinite capacity for imagination we have as kids seems to just… “switch off”, as we’re forced to be more realistic and grounded.
Or does it?
At Cuckooland, we’re all about the Quirky Trinity; fun, imagination and eccentricity. We don’t believe in “growing up” – we believe that we just adapt our childlike imaginations, and put them to use for more practical tasks that pay the bills! But deep inside, we all reminisce about a simpler time when life was all about makebelieve and running around. But why should we fight this longing? We believe it’s healthy to let your inner child out once in a while! And that’s what this post is all about.
As an adult, you don’t have to play the constant role of supervisor while the kids have all the fun! Why not roll up your sleeves and join in the fun? Not only do you get to be a kid again, but the kids’ll love that you’re involved in playtime, too! So here’s the Official Cuckooland Guide to fort-building; whether it’s outside in the sun, or a playtime ace-in-the-hole for a rainy day!
The Pillow Fort
Ah, the classic pillow fort. This one’s been on the playtime agenda for as long as pillows (or cushions) have been around! There’s something so appealing about pillows when it comes to building a fort – their square shape gives them a certain “buildability” – they’re like big, soft LEGO blocks! And pillow forts are always fun to hide in – maybe because they’re nice and comfortable, unlike, say, a wooden den full of protruding nails! There’s really no secret to the pillow-fort; you just gather all the cushions, pillows, and other soft things in the house, and let them fall together side-on to create a little crawl-space, or something to hide behind in projectile-based pillow warfare! You can even use your childrens bed to leverage building space.
The Blanket Fort
The successful blanket fort requires something that can be draped in blankets to create a centre of subterfuge; namely a dining room table or the lower deck of a bunk bed. Or, if you want to be really creative, and get the kids involved in its construction, stack up a bunch of boxes or bric-a-brac, and create your own, bespoke blanket castle! The blanket fort might even add a nice, finishing touch to the pillow fort, making it an ideal hideout for torchlit feasts and storytimes!
Zebarella’s tip of the day: A bedsheet or two thrown over a washing line can make a great tent in the garden for picnics and playtime! But for something a little warmer and quirkier, check out Cuckooland’s selection of unique tents; fun, colourful, and ideal for that first camping trip in the back garden! Or, for a classic game of Cowboys and Indians (are we even allowed to call it that anymore?), how about introducing a real Cuckooland wigwam to playtime?
The Creative Project Fort
Loved by kids and dads alike, the Creative Project Fort will take a bit longer to assemble than the temporary pillow and blanket forts! Whether it’s the classic treehouse, or something a bit more inventive, the Creative Project Fort is sure to take a good couple of weeks’ work before it’s finished!
But don’t let dad have all the fun! A big, family project can be a great bonding experience for everyone involved, and it can also teach the kids some useful manual skills, so that they can help out around the house later on in life – not to mention when they enter the world of work!
We can help, too!
Building a fort is a great bonding activity that really flexes those imagination muscles for both kids and adults. But don’t forget about the tents, wigwams and outdoor playsets that are all ready-made for delivery from Cuckooland, straight to your kids’ imaginations! With everything from a Wild West to a pirate themes available, our playsets are sure to inspire your kids’ playtimes!
We welcome you to join our ‘Build-a-Fort’ championships, where we are inviting parents, students, and anybody else who appreciates the fine art of fort building, to share their creations with our Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ pages above. We may even have a playtent inspired prize for the best one.
We hope we’ve inspired you to really let your inner child run free and get involved with your children’s playtimes! It’s healthy to let yourself have a bit of fun with the kids every now and then, and the children will love that you’re getting involved in their playtime! We would love to see your own play forts in either our comments section below, or on our social pages above. Please do share if you’re feeling inspired by this post. Just don’t get too competitive with the fort building – and keep an eye on Dad; building tree houses should be fun and they really don’t need to have foundations capable of launching a space shuttle…
