F is for Fort

Welcome to my Blogging from A to Z April Challenge for 2019! The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event held each April. Bloggers create posts from A to Z beginning on April 1st and ending on April 30th. There is a post scheduled for each day of the month (except for Sundays) with each day corresponding to a sequential letter of the alphabet.

I'm keeping this year focused on toddler activities. More specifically, I'm keeping it limited to indoor activities. We live in northern Minnesota, where the winters are long and cold, so a variety of indoor play is a must. It's not too hard to go stir crazy when you're cooped up inside for months at a time!

Today's letter is letter F. F is for Fort!!

This is one of our easiest but most fun activities. It can last for days...on occasion even months. I'm amazed at how long this one keeps their attention.

We started out forts with the simple use of a blanket stretched from one furniture item to another. The boy loves crawling underneath like he's in a tunnel and he really enjoys hiding and then playing peek-a-boo from his hiding spot. He's also pretty keen on sneaking off into these areas if he grabs something that he's not supposed to have. At least we always know where to look!

Last fall, I ordered a chair and ottoman for  room. It came in a huge cardboard box. So...we made a playhouse fort out of it. I cut him a door and a window, we did a little coloring on front, and he had himself a great time! He loved to peek out of the window or drag his blanket inside. He loved going in and out the door. It stood in the corner of our living room until he pretty much tore the door off from so much use. 

We replaced the cardboard fort with a teepee at Christmas time. He hasn't quite found as much enjoyment with that, but I think it's primarily because I haven't created a floor for it yet. I have the materials to correct this issue soon.

We went back to mostly making blanket forts here and there, including Daddy's idea to create one in the crib. The boy slept in his bed fort for nearly a week and demanded it be reconstructed each evening. Something so simple to create so much joy. Then...Daddy brought home a present. He brought home a Traeger grill box from work. The insides of these boxes have a little shack drawn on the inside. It's adorable! We dismantled the box and retaped it inside out. Daddy cut the door, and we were back in business. The boy loves it, but the baby does too! He has figured out how to roll himself to the door, open it, and then roll himself inside and shut the door behind him. It's pretty entertaining.

Forts. Who knew? So much fun from such a simple (and inexpensive) toy! 

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Not an A to Z Blogger, but love the idea? Go here to see what other fun you can find in the challenge.

Miss a prior 2016 A to Z post? Find your missing link down below...

    A is for ASL                                   B is for Bubbles                 C is for Counting
    D is for Dot                                   E is for Exercise