Why do kids make pillow forts?

Question

Just curious.. my nephew is 6 years old and I was babysitting him the other day, at his own place while his folks went out to spend some quality time with each other. I came into the living room from the kitchen to find he'd collected all cushions and throws and constructed a pillow fort around himself :) This without any prompting or being told by anyone what a pillow fort even was, not even by his parents (I checked).

It was cute and all, of course, but it's making me wonder why or where a 6 year old would get the idea to do that. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he's making a home for himself. And think about it - most kids do it sooner or later, even we did and that's going back 20 years or so.

Any child psych reasons behind this common phenomenon, you think?

Answer 1

Kids just wanna have fun

Answer 2

It helps with creativity and imagination.

Answer 3

Creative play

Story telling

Imagination

Modeling something he saw on TV

Making pillow forts at a friends house

Having his 'own spot'

Hope you joined in on the fun :-)

Answer 4

we want to have fun

Answer 5

ah... they see things from 'armies' on TV, and because they cant have their own complete with dirt and flying grenades, they make a fort out of pillows.

Answer 6

Maybe he likes to stick his face in the pillow afterward and smell it!

....oh wait... sorry! I thought you said pillow FARTS!

Answer 7

i still do that, im 16.

its just fun to make something all by yourself.

you should do that, get alot of cushions, and get your favorite blankie in there and take a nap !

so much fun. =]

Answer 8

Well if you ask me kids like to "experiment and explore". For instance, maybe your nephew is the type that is creative and fun. I would think he likes to because maybe a friend showed him or he saw it on TV.

Answer 9

its fun

Answer 10

At thirty-two I still have urges to make "sofa forts"! Can't explain it. Fortunatly I'm around children frequently enough that I can get away with the pretense of it all being for them.

Answer 11

Because kids are kids, and they want to have fun!

Answer 12

lol, I was going to say "becasue it's fun"! Well some kids have just an imagntave mind. And when they dont have blocks or anything to build with, there are pillows and cushions!!!!! Plus they are soft. And sorry to say....it is fun. I grew out of it though, I am 11.

Answer 13

Im not really sure,they find it amusing and fun. Sorry i know you did not wanna hear fun but i dont know what else

Answer 14

Jean Piaget-Child Psychologist. basically "Children want to know the world around them and will "experiment" with different things to find answers to their questions. Ever wonder why a toddler in his high chair continuously drops something to the floor- He is "experimenting" and learning that if

I drop this it will fall to the floor and if I drop *this* it will fall too.

Children are naturally curious and through play, children learn. Pretend play has a great impact on how children learn. (He probably has learned about houses and wanted on of his own for his size^^) And of course it is fun!

Answer 15

Your right most children do this. I think its a mental urging to be independent and have a space there own they can hide in, or control. Its amazing what children come up with on there own.