How to create a durable enclosed "safe place" for my preschooler at home
March 21, 2018 9:45 AM Subscribe
My preschooler needs a space at home where he can retreat when he's angry or upset so that he can calm down. I'm looking for recommendations for how to create a space like this in our home that will be durable enough not to be destroyed by tantrums or even just very active indoor play.
His school uses this wooden box thing and calls it the Cozy Cube. I think that actual object is outside my price range, but it's what I'm looking for here. I like that it has a top and sides that create an enclosed feeling without seeming more sinister, and that it is made out of durable, sustainable materials that will outlast my kid's tantrum years.
The usual play tents and indoor play houses (especially the ones like this) seem to have stiff tent poles that break easily and are not replaceable. We were given an inflatable ball tent thing like this but our cats poked a hole in it pretty quickly. I considered a mosquito net canopy for half a second before I had the premonition of my child climbing it like a gym rope and ripping it out of the ceiling. Maybe I'm overthinking this and should just buy a beanbag and put it at the bottom of his closet?
Have you created a space like this in your home for your active preschooler? Do you have any ideas or products or techniques to recommend?
His school uses this wooden box thing and calls it the Cozy Cube. I think that actual object is outside my price range, but it's what I'm looking for here. I like that it has a top and sides that create an enclosed feeling without seeming more sinister, and that it is made out of durable, sustainable materials that will outlast my kid's tantrum years.
The usual play tents and indoor play houses (especially the ones like this) seem to have stiff tent poles that break easily and are not replaceable. We were given an inflatable ball tent thing like this but our cats poked a hole in it pretty quickly. I considered a mosquito net canopy for half a second before I had the premonition of my child climbing it like a gym rope and ripping it out of the ceiling. Maybe I'm overthinking this and should just buy a beanbag and put it at the bottom of his closet?
Have you created a space like this in your home for your active preschooler? Do you have any ideas or products or techniques to recommend?
I put my toddler in the downstairs bathroom for her calm-down timeouts, mainly because it was convenient and I didn't want her to not have access to the bathroom while on timeout. I think it also probably helped that it had a mirror, which is a useful distraction. (But she was never interested in breaking stuff; not sure about severity of the issue you're facing.)
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:50 AM on March 21, 2018
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:50 AM on March 21, 2018
Seconding the cardboard box. I used this as a teacher in a particularly challenging class of kids and after they had decorated it and made it theirs, I was shocked at how long it lasted before it needed to be replaced. It was months of use of 20 plus kids using it daily. Depending on your kid, maybe having him color it, etc., would help him see it as a place to quiet down and also take care of.
posted by not that mimi at 9:54 AM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by not that mimi at 9:54 AM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
What about a small-ish square table set against the wall with a long tablecloth draped over it? IKEA, for example, sells a ~30" square model for $40 US. But, I would imagine you could find something similar second hand for even less.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 9:58 AM on March 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Secret Sparrow at 9:58 AM on March 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
We sectioned off a portion of their closet and put cushions and blankets and some stuffed animals in there. The closet light was too harsh so we hung a string of paper-lantern christmas lights for some soft light. it's ended up being a good calm down (not timeout) space for both my preschoolers and my 8 year old.
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:01 AM on March 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:01 AM on March 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
My kid chills in this IKEA tent with a tunnel. It doesn't use any poles and folds up when you're not using it.
posted by galvanized unicorn at 10:11 AM on March 21, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by galvanized unicorn at 10:11 AM on March 21, 2018 [8 favorites]
Is there a corner where you can pile up some pillows? Fairy lights sound like a good adition.
posted by theora55 at 10:12 AM on March 21, 2018
posted by theora55 at 10:12 AM on March 21, 2018
We had a child's play tent, the kind with a spring-loaded frame, with some pillows. It was good for reading books, getting away from it all, and meltdowns. Fit into a corner and couldn't really be destroyed by a few swats.
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 10:15 AM on March 21, 2018
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 10:15 AM on March 21, 2018
I was going to suggest the same thing as Secret Sparrow: a wooden table with a cloth draped over it. My friends did that for their kids. Use floor pillows or even a dog bed that is the right shape, and it's very cozy. Some kind of safe lighting would be ideal as well. The turtle that projects stars maybe.
posted by JenMarie at 10:17 AM on March 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by JenMarie at 10:17 AM on March 21, 2018 [3 favorites]
A combination of the ikea lack tables could work quite well. Turn this upside-down and screw or glue another tabletop on the bottom of the legs. You can get it in a cheery yellow color right now, I notice. Also there are nine million other "lack hacks" out there, depending on your skills and patience you can get pretty complicated with it. Using another top to enclose one side is something that requires a little work since it's not a perfect cube, but it'll make that cozy cave feeling. Another easier way would be to attach some canvas curtains around all the sides. Sew a button at every other top corner and cut button holes into the opposite bottom corner of each side, and your kid can fold the curtains up to feel more open or drop them down to feel enclosed.
posted by Mizu at 10:20 AM on March 21, 2018
posted by Mizu at 10:20 AM on March 21, 2018
Full- or queen-sized blanket over a card table. Also known as a "fort".
posted by amtho at 10:57 AM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 10:57 AM on March 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Cardboard boxes from refrigerators and stoves can usually be had for free from local appliance stores if you live in a place that has such stores.
posted by coevals at 11:13 AM on March 21, 2018
posted by coevals at 11:13 AM on March 21, 2018
We used an old dinner/work table, approx. 8'x4'. One added benefit of it being larger and sturdier is that we could suspend a hammock from the underside. Kids loved it.
posted by at at 1:01 PM on March 21, 2018
posted by at at 1:01 PM on March 21, 2018
I've used heavy cardboard boxes that appliances come in put on their sides. If you carefully cut small holes (stars, moons, whatever) out of the top they let light in but still give that snug private feel. Let your child decorate it with paint and markers and stickers inside and out. Another idea would be to look into doghouses or kits for building dog houses. If it's pre-built you'll need to make sure it fits through your doors.
posted by mareli at 5:00 PM on March 21, 2018
posted by mareli at 5:00 PM on March 21, 2018
We have the house and tunnel from IKEA that galvanized unicorn linked to. It’s been stress-tested by two thrill-seeking pre-schooler consultants and seems indestructible. Both pieces fold up easily. Caveat: it’s used more for active play than calming down here, but it has a similar shape to the wooden version you link to and your kid might already associate that more with a space to retreat to than ours do.
posted by meijusa at 7:05 PM on March 21, 2018
posted by meijusa at 7:05 PM on March 21, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bq at 9:50 AM on March 21, 2018 [7 favorites]