Den making

(All ages)

Children often enjoy making dens for themselves or others to hide inside – this is known as the ‘enclosure schema’. Find out more about children’s schemas in play on the BBC CBeebies website.

Den making resources will allow children to create enclosures around themselves. Your child may also be developing their understanding of how things might get in and out of the enclosure (den).

You will need:

Your den can be inside or outside, so the items that you need will depend on your location. Here are some suggestions:

  • Cardboard boxes - Children can get creative stacking and styling them to make a den.
  • Garden canes, branches, and twigs - Build wigwams with branches or garden canes tied at the top with string.
  • Garden furniture - Use your garden furniture, playhouse or play frame if you have one. Put them together and cover with a blanket to create a den underneath.
  • Covers - Blankets, sheets, old towels, camouflage netting, all make ideal covers. A waterproof blanket or tarpaulin on the floor creates a dry area to sit down. Cushions or beanbags make it comfortable.
  • Fixers - Let children use a variety of items to join their den and secure their covers. Consider making a collection of the following: 
    • string
    • sellotape/ masking tape
    • ribbons
    • clothes pegs
    • plastic ties
    • bendy hair curlers
    • large pipe cleaners
    • tent pegs and
    • clips
  • Decorations - Let children personalise their den by decorating it. For example, with leaves, paints, crayons, chalk, ribbon, leaves, flowers or fairy lights.

What to do

Plan where the den will be made and what it might look like.

Make a collection of resources you'll need to make the den.

Your role in den making is to follow your child's instructions. Let their imagination/creation become a reality. Try not to project your ideas on your child. Ask open ended questions to help them think through the process:

  • What could we use to make this blanket stay in place, do you think?
  • I wonder how we will get into the den?
  • Are you planning on the den being just for you to go in or will you need to make it larger to fit your friends in?
  • Let me see, what are we missing in this den?
  • What happens if it starts to rain? How could you make it waterproof?

Skills your child will learn

Problem solving and mathematical skills – they might measure or compare the sizes of objects when deciding which resources to use. They'll be estimating how large a doorway needs to be to allow themselves to crawl through. Encourage them to use the words long, short, wide, narrow, under, over, tall, heavy and light.

Communication skills - praise your child for giving clear instructions.

Practise patience and persistence. They'll find elements of their plan tricky to achieve. Remember not to jump in too quickly to help, let them problem solve for themselves.

It's good to leave their den space intact for as long as they show an interested in it. They'll come back to it to change and refine its design.