Ask Ollie
Cushion Fort Builders
Here's one to try together!
Engineering, but with pillows.
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- No climbing on top of the fort roof
- Hold the roof with light things only, never a stack of books.
- Keep one side open so everyone can get out easily.
What you need
- Pillows and cushions
- Blanket
- Flashlight (optional)
- Paper, 1 sheet
- Crayons or markers, a few
- Picture book, 1 or 2 (optional)
- Stuffed animals, 1 per builder (optional)
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Clear a space near a couch or two chairs. Decide out loud which cushions are allowed.
- Plan your fort first. Where will the door go? Ask: Is it a castle, a cave or a spaceship?
- Gather the cushions and pillows into one big pile.
- Make walls by standing cushions against the couch. Ask: How do we stop the walls from falling over?
- Put a blanket over the top for a roof. Ask for help if you need it
- Now test it. Crawl in slowly and check that the walls stay up.
- Make it cozy inside with pillows and a soft blanket.
- Name your fort and make a sign for it.
- Read or tell a story inside with a flashlight.
- Invite everyone in for a visit, and plan an even bigger fort for next time! Ask: What will you add to the next fort?
Play it again
- Tunnel fort: line up chairs and drape blankets to make a crawl tunnel.
- Fort picnic: have snack time or quiet reading inside the fort.
- Speed build: how fast can the team build the same fort again?
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