Friday, July 22, 2011

100 (Attempted) Ways to Entertain a Young Toddler, Day 21: Blanket Fort

Who hasn't built a blanket fort as a kid? My sister and I used to love draping blankets over the couches and onto chairs. It was our hideout.

A few months ago, some friends of mine posted pictures of a blanket fort that they'd built for their son, who's younger than Oliver by a few months. Before then, it hadn't occurred to me that little ones could enjoy an activity like this, too.

Today, I decided to build Oliver his first blanket fort. I was better at doing this when I was little. I ended up with a blanket draped from the couch to the coffee table, and it made a blanket tunnel. Oh, well! I showed Oliver his blanket tunnel, and he got really excited. He got down on all fours and crawled through it as fast as he could. He came out the other end, beaming, and yelled, "More!" He did it a few more times. Occasionally, I'd pop my head through and yell, "Boo!"

He tired of the game after about 5 minutes or so. That seems to be about average for him and new activities. I guess one can have just so much fun with a blanket fort by yourself. After he tired of it, I left the blankets up just in case he changed his mind. He climbed up onto the couch and almost climbed onto the blankets (which would have sent him crashing to the floor). Luckily, I stopped him in time. I realized that it wasn't safe for me to leave those blankets up!

This free activity earns a B in my book. I'll definitely play blanket fort with him again, and I'm sure it will turn into a game of pretend as the blanket forts become more fort-like and less tunnel-like. It's easy to set up, free, and fun for a short while. On the other hand, while Oliver had fun, his interest waned quickly.

Update: As it turns out, my husband is significantly better at building forts than me (here is a look at his fort). My blanket tunnel fort has been put to shame. Oliver loved watching it get built, but he didn't enjoy playing in it for long. I'm not going to change my B grade for this activity, but I can see how promising building a fort can be.

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