Have your kids supply the finishing touches to the fort. To get them started, here are some ideas, complete with special instructions for creating secret compartments.
WINDOWS
Cover windows with curtains made from old towels or scraps of cloth.
WALLS
Hang things on the walls, like original drawings and posters, or even an unbreakable mirror.
ARTWORK
Decorate with pottery, flowers, collected stones, shells and leaves.
SECURITY
Cut a spy hole in the wall, so you can keep a lookout with a periscope or binoculars.
SIGNS
Put up Welcome signs with the fort's official name. Tip: Hang them on sticks poked through the fort's wall.
INTERIOR LIGHTING
Hang a flashlight from the ceiling with a piece of string for reading stories at night.
DISPLAY AREAS
Set up grocery store boxes or wooden crates for tables and shelves to hold your stuff. Stumps and milk crates can also serve in a pinch.
ALARM SYSTEMS
Tie several jingle bells to a length of string and hang it across the fort's entrance.
BEAD CURTAIN
Hang strings of beads from the top of the door, creating a shimmering curtain across the entrance.
ACCESSORIES
Stock your fort with "necessary" items, such as a battery-operated cassette player or radio, old dishes, pots and pans, a tin-can telephone, stuffed animals, toys and books.
FURNITURE
Always keep an eye out for discarded household furniture that will fit inside your fort: chairs, card tables, even bookcases or shelves. Old tires make good chairs, as do large pieces of firewood set on end.
MAIL AND MESSAGES
Make a mailbox or slot for letters. Put up a cork bulletin board for news of club meetings or important messages.
STORING YOUR SECRET STUFF
What would a fort be without treasures--and secret places to hide them in? Here are some ways to safeguard your prized possessions.
1. Floor safe: Dig a shallow hole in the fort's floor and line it with plastic. Place your treasures inside, then lay a board across the hole. Cover the board with a carpet scrap, rug, hay or pine needles.
2. Wall safe: Hang an old cereal box on the wall (with a door cut in its front), then cover it with a poster, cloth or piece of art.
3. Table safe: Turn a box or crate upside down and place valuables beneath. Cover the box with an old sheet and use it as a table.
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