Build an Air Fort

Fort building is a child favorite. Whether it’s hiding under a blanket, building with sofa cushions, or using chairs from the kitchen and a sheet, kids love to find places to call their own. Build an air fort for your kids. They’ll think it’s the coolest thing! Affiliate links are included in this post.

Build an Air Fort

Credit for this idea goes to my friend, Kari. We were talking about our kids’ love of fort building – how they go under the kitchen table for a fort or just make a fort out of a pile of pillows. She told me of the air fort she used to build as a kid using a box fan and a fitted sheet. I thought that sounded awesome and knew we had to try it.

What You’ll Need:

• box fan
• fitted sheet (we used queen size)
• clothespins

Stretch out the fitted sheet and place one end over the top of the fan. Secure the sheet to the top of the fan using clothespins. My son knocked over our fan a few times while pulling on the sheet so I tied the fan to something more stable using pipe cleaners.

Turn on the fan to build the air fort. Add pillows or blankets to make the fort your own.

Explore the the air. Grab a pinwheel and watch it spin.

Or grab a toy and your dad. Have fun talking into the fan. Share a smile with the camera.

More Fort Ideas

This is one of Aiden’s ideas for building a fort.

A giant pile of all the pillows and blankets he can find with a few stuffed animals thrown in. You’ll find him sitting on top of this pile or hiding within it.

What kind of fort do you and your kids enjoy building?

Here are more fort building ideas from others.

Host a Reading Fort Party – Build your favorite fort. Then grab some books, a flashlight, and friends. See the party idea at Mama Smiles.

How to Build 3 forts in 5 Minutes or Less – Twitchetts shares these fun and easy ideas.

Build a Pea Trellis Fort – Such a fun idea for outdoor fort in the garden. Get the directions from How Wee Learn.

Check out these playhouses, forts and tents over at The Artful Parent. They’re perfect for creative indoor play.

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This post was originally published on January 22, 2015.