3 Great Indoor
Kid Forts
Written By David Sobel
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3. BoxSweetBox
Not a fan of sneaker-stamped bedding? There's another way. Often noted for play potential, the washing machine or dryer box can easily be converted into Little Red Riding Hood's house or a cottage on the lake. Most appliance stores are happy to have you help with their recycling efforts.
Because the construction process is beyond the small-motor skills of most 5-year-olds, a bit of collaboration during the design-build process is required. Of course most houses aren't just a plain old square. Smaller boxes provide the raw material for adding on a bedroom or a porch. The rambling, connected farmhouse, shed, and barn complexes of New England can be your inspiration. Wondertime testers created one from a refrigerator box, a stove box, a pizza box (smaller roof), and a large moving box cut in half (bigger roof) — all inside out. Duct or Gorilla tape can attach box to box, but repairs may require a hot-glue gun. With your child, identify the location of doors and windows and score them with an X-acto knife for easy hinges. Kid testers Mathieu and Stefan loved the multiple entrances, and it didn't take long before they each claimed their own door. Windows with handles (wooden stringing beads strung on rope both inside and out) were used for quick stuffed animal exits or games of peekaboo. And the piece de resistance? The trap door to the attic, of course.
After assembling the basic form, the real fun begins. Ask your child what your structure needs in order to be a real home. Chimneys are a possibility — add some cotton smoke. Flower boxes, dish towel curtains, and rugs add charm. How about a telephone, stuffed animals, or dress-ups? When good weather finally beckons, just fold up your fort and store it until the next rainy day — if the kids can wait that long.
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