Den Making

One of mine and my sisters favourite things to do when we were younger was building a den.
They were usually very simple creations made out of anything we could get our hands on; tables, chairs, clothes horse, blankets, sheets, cushions etc
But to us they were our own little hideaways, an adult free space  where we could play, read and talk in secret. Sometimes we were even allowed to eat our lunch in our den.

It is also one of my favourite things to do with Hartley. Since he was a few months old I have made cosy spaces for us to snuggle, read and play together.

Hartley loves playing under our new table, in fact he loves crawling through and small space so I thought it was time to make a den again.

I simply placed two sheets over our table so it became an enclosed space. I then added a duvet and a few cushions inside and I had transformed our dining table into a cosy space for both of us to play.

Of course older children will have so much fun making their own dens. They coud be made out of anything inside or outside in the garden. Den making encourages children to be creative. It also allows them to have ownership of their own space. It is also a great activity for siblings or friends to do, which encourages them to work together.

Hartley loved playing in his den, he chse toys to take into it, we shared books together and we snuggled!
I also put a tunnel leading into the entrance which made it even more fun and we both crawled into the den, this was good for both of our physical development!

So next time its raining outside and you and your children are bored, why not make a den? You will have as much fun as the children!