Play tent helps kids get to sleep in unfamiliar places

Longtime Parent Hacker Jill uses a play tent as a comfortable sleeping space for her kids:

I never realized how useful a toy tent could be with children. Not only is it great fun to set it up on rainy days indoors, but it works great for traveling. We realized that our son could wake up in the middle of the night, look around at familiar (tent) surroundings, and go back to sleep. Anywhere. We now use it when we travel to Grandma's, the beach condo, and even when he needs to sleep in the den to free up a bedroom for visitors. He's always at home in that thing! I love it!

Tags: Family travel, Parenting

Comments

[Jill Urbane, The Mentor Mom]

Great idea regarding using the tent at hotels. I just picked one up yesterday at IKEA for $7...what a bargain!

[Natasha Hammond]

I have a baby due in the next three weeks, and not enough beds for family coming out... What a great idea for my toddler who just happens to have our old double bed!!

[aja]

absolutely, i did this with my toddler when we moved into a new house. she was feeling apprehensive about her new room, but once we put her mattress inside the cheap IKEA kids tent, she was right at home, with the added bonus of having her excited to go to bed because it was like camping.