5 Reasons You Must Build a Blanket Fort

By Patrisha Tatum

Licensed Master Social Worker

Patrisha Tatum is a Therapist at Agape Behavioral Health who serves girls in Bethel's residential programs. She previously worked full-time at Bethel and at Siskin Hospital. She earned her BSW at Freed-Hardeman University and her MSSW from the University of Tennessee, with an emphasis on Trauma. Trisha interned at Tennessee Community Service Agency, Bradford Health Services, and Jackson Co. General Hospital.

Why a blanket fort? Over the past few weeks I’ve worked a lot with Bethel’s kids on lowering their levels of anxiety. We want them to feel safe and secure in the midst of this virus.

For a fun distraction, I issued a blanket fort challenge. To kick it off, my husband and I decided to make one ourselves. We had a lot of fun and I think we rocked it. 🙂

Don’t miss the snack drawer on the right!

Perfect for watching a movie.

This took a lot of teamwork!

Building a blanket fort is a lot more than just fun though. I totally recommend it as a family activity. Here’s why:

1- A perfect distraction from the news

While we were figuring out how to add lights and create that snack drawer, it took our minds off everything for a while. I realized that I have been dealing with a lot of anxiety and I completely forgot about that anxiety when we were focused on building the fort.

2- Variety!

You can only do so many dance challenges while you’re sheltering in place. (And the way we dance, I promise you will not ever see us dancing on TikTok.) Building a blanket fort adds a new activity to the mix.

3- Foster creativity

There’s no kit for building your blanket fort. That opens the door to a lot of creativity and imagination. To achieve our fort, we had to use two 15-foot phone charger cords and various pieces of yarn and clips we found in the house.

4- A safe nook

Your blanket fort creates a secure little space away from the world. If you build a few forts, each child can have their own little space to read, pray or just have a little quiet time.

A blanket fort is also the perfect place to have a family devotion without distractions.

5-Teamwork

Building a blanket fort is a good time to practice family communication and work as a team. And if you have children who don’t often express what they are feeling, activities like this can sometimes draw them out. It takes away the pressure to have a conversation.

There’s never been a more perfect time

None of us are going to be having company any time soon, so your blanket forts can stay up for a while.

When you finish your creation, I’d love to see it and share it with our kids here at Bethel. Send a photo to info@bethelbiblevillage.org.

Although this stay-at-home time is causing a lot of disruption in our world, it’s also a time to create family memories that you will treasure.

Get more helpful tips like this one. Sign up to get Bethel experts in your inbox.