A lesson in architecture

Since Aidan was about 18 months old we've been making forts.  The first fort was made using the pillows from our couch, and has been a favorite almost every week since then.  This favorite fort usually resembles a tunnel since we use the couch and the coffee table to support the giant cushions.  As Aidan has gotten older he has tried other ways to prop the pillows up on his own, giving him a lesson in architecture that he thought he only had to worry about when using his wooden blocks and Legos.  We've had many conversations when the mood strikes him to dismantle our couch, about angles, size, distance, weight, etc, while constructing past tunnels and forts in the living room.  Even though he has remembered some basic rules he has a long way to go before earning that engineering degree or the right to call himself an architect!  

I found a wonderful article from The New York Times about Lessons in the art of pillow fort construction that inspired this post and is something I think you will enjoy if you find pleasure in building forts with your kids.  If you're looking for some fort inspiration check out All for the boys.  Every Friday is Fort Friday on her blog, where she features photos of all kinds of forts people send in to her, including our own couch pillow fort!

What are your favorite fort building materials?