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This post about 7 fort building tips was inspired and sponsored by The Carpet and Rug Institute.
When I first started this blog we did a weekly series called Fort Friday. There’s just something special and magical about a fort. I feel like it’s something we all “get” and can relate to as a family. When my nieces and nephews come over we love building forts and playing games in them or watching a movie from them! One thing I hadn’t thought about a lot before until the issue came up, was making sure the house was as allergen safe as possible and that building forts didn’t exacerbate any issues. Luckily it’s not hard to do!
Here are our 7 favorite tips for easy, fun fort building:
- Keep it Simple – as much as we love an awesome crazy big fort, simple means it’s built faster and take down is easier making it more fun for everyone.
- Build it in a comfortable spot – sure you can build a fort on the patio but is it comfortable to lay down? A room with plush carpet or a rug is best!
- Use your space – use the space and room around you to build your fort. The bed, the furniture or even the dining table make the perfect frame for a simple fort.
- Secure all edges well from the beginning – I know you’ve done this – thought “Oh this is fine” or “We’ll see if this holds up” just secure it well from the get go, that way it lasts and you won’t have sad kids that their fort is caving in on them. When securing make sure that if it does fall in, the things you secure it with won’t fall into the fort and onto the kids.
- Use sheets or other light materials – the more air that can pass through, the more comfortable the fort will be inside. If you’re using a large comforter it will make the fort much warmer.
- Accessories – the best part about a fort is what you do inside. Flashlights, books, games or even electronics make it the perfect hideout.
- Keep a set of sheets, clips or other building materials just for fort building. By making a little “kit” you’ll always know where your materials are, you can keep the sheets washed and cleaned of allergens and your kids won’t be pulling the sheets of your bed to build a fort.
So where does the allergen safe come in? By keeping a set of sheets or blankets specifically for fort building you know exactly what the kids are using and when so you can wash them appropriately. For example, one of my boys is extremely allergic to cats to the point that when friends who have cats at home come over, I need to make sure to wash the pillows and blankets after they leave.
I’ve been worried about the carpets and rugs in the house but after some research (when looking for new carpets for the bedrooms) with The Carpet and Rug Institute I learned that studies have shown that properly cleaned carpet helps reduce allergy symptoms and is the best flooring choice for those dealing with asthma and allergies.
In a home with carpet and rugs the allergens are kept in place until they are cleaned up. All the dust, pollen and pet and insect dander, falls to the floor and the carpet fibers trap the particles, removing them from the breathing zone and reducing their circulation in the air. Proper cleaning effectively removes dust and allergens from the carpet and helps keep them out of the air we breathe.
Not to mention, carpet is the most comfy surface for playing, relaxing, game night, movie night and of course, fort building (and falling down which still happens often in our home lol!). I had no idea that the CRI even existed but I love resources like this because I’m the type of person who researches everything before making a purchase like this for the home. If you do too, check them out for benefits, environmental info, tips, cleaning and even help choosing the right carpet for your home.
Keeping the house clean and safe for all our friends and family is super important to me so I’m happy to read about and get any tips I can get. I also want everything to look good, feel good and be the centerpiece for making memories.
Would you love some extra cash? (Who wouldn’t?!) The Carpet and Rug Institute is giving away a $500 Visa Gift Card to one lucky reader! Click over to visit CRI and use the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of the page to enter for a chance to win!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Carpet and Rug Institute.
1 Comment
good tips for fort building! we also keep blankets and clips separate for fort making.
we found out my 12 year old has a dust mite allergy 2 days before our new carpet was to be installed. i did my own online research after given literature from the allergist. I also came to the conclusion that it was all about how well and often the space is cleaned and that carpet is not as bad as some people think for that type of allergy.