Top tips for den building

Much as we love to play outdoors the temperature has noticeably dropped and we are spending more time indoors. My children love den building. It’s fun, cheap and easy to put away – what’s not to love? According to Philips making dens inspires UK children’s imagination more than watching TV or playing computer games.

I thought I would share our top tips for den building:

First of all clear a decent sized space

Make use of any chairs/sofa/table or even a washing line strung between a couple of chairs

Use what you have to hand such as quilts and blankets, to build your den

Clothes pegs are great for keeping everything in place, there’s nothing worse than sitting in your den when the roof begins to cave in!

Place cushions from the sofa to make it comfy inside

Add torches, lights or projector so you will have light when it’s getting dark

Fill with your favourite toys and perhaps some snacks

I loved building dens when I was growing up and my children are no different. I remember having a small Wendy House I used to put up in my bedroom which was great for sitting in and reading my books. I also used to hang quilts around my bunk bed so I could sit in peace away from my noisy older sister!

According to the latest research from Philips, the global leader in lighting, 86% of 5-10 year olds in the UK said they have created a den in their bedroom and six in ten said that it allowed them to escape and pretend to be somewhere or someone else. Almost a third (31%) of kids said that building a den is more fun than just watching a TV or playing on a computer to keep them entertained.

The research, which looked into children’s playtime habits, found that girls relished the thought of being princesses, with over half (52%) choosing castles as their favourite dens to build. In contrast, boys would rather let their imagination take them to the stars with over four in ten (43%) pretending their den was a spaceship. Over half (58%) said their dens provided them with the perfect secret hiding place, allowing them to get away from the real world.