Tips for Building the Best Blanket Fort

With 4 boys in the house you can probably imagine that I have some pretty awesome blanket fort builders.  In fact, in 16 Things Moms of Boys Know, I mention that to our boys, blanket forts are the strongest forts in the entire world.  Today I’m sharing my boys’ tips for building the best blanket fort around as well as sharing a yummy snack that every blanket fort builder will love.

Tips for Building a Blanket Fort

When you think of a fort, what do you think of? I think of a fort as place of protection and security and a place that is safe from the outside world. Using their imaginations, my boys have come up with some pretty great forts over the years and here they are sharing their tips for building a blanket fort.

1. Gather your building materials.  Collect as many blankets, pillows, sheets and folding chairs as possible (while your mom isn’t looking) and bring them into the room where the fort will be built.
2. Arrange your ‘walls’.  Arrange your fort so that the couches and chairs make up the walls of the fort. Use chairs of different heights to make bigger rooms in your fort.
   
3. Drape blankets and sheets over chairs and use pillows to hold everything in place. If you have an opening, use a pillow as the door. (Simple enough concept, right? )
4. Every fort needs secret passageways and tunnels.  You never know when the enemy will break down the front gate and come charging in so you’d better have an escape route.  My boys use smaller benches/chairs and pop-up tents to add secret passageways to their forts.

5. Make taller rooms using bar stools.  It’s not fun to sleep in a blanket fort that is right on top of you, so use sheets and taller chairs to make the perfect ‘bedroom’.

6-Add a fan.  You don’t want your fort to be too hot so add a box fan to help it stay nice and cool.

7- Don’t forget the snack! You never know if you will be stuck in the fort for long periods of time while the enemy waits for you outside, so always bring a snack.  Our snack of choice is always popcorn and sometimes the boys get lucky and I make their favorite Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn.

Make sure you grab our recipe for Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn.  It is the softest, gooiest, caramel popcorn you will every have. Plus we throw in some chocolate as well so what is there not to love?

What tips do you have for making the best blanket forts?  Share your tips in the comments!