The New York Times Reports on Lessons in the Art of Pillow Forts

Summer vacation has almost arrived, and parents, (self included!) are scurrying about to find ways to keep their kids duly occupied to avoid the dreaded "I'm bored" blues which lead to sibling fights, which lead to parental insanity.

While many people rush to enroll their kids in summer camps and fill their schedule to the brim, I think slowing down and having the opportunity to be *bored* would behoove modern-day kids and give them a chance to develop their imagination and problem-solving skills.

With that in mind, remember how simple yet grand the pillow forts of your youth were? I remember spending hours as a kid tying string across all points in my room with my best friend, simply so we could drape a sheet over the string and create an entirely new land beneath its billowy canopy. I also recall reigning supreme under the dining room table, which was the perfect hideout for eating the chocolate chips we stole from the fridge.

The New York Times recently published an article featuring Lessons in the Art of Pillow Fort Construction. It's a great read, and a wonderful reminder that it's the little things (creating a fort out of the hole underneath a desk) that make a child's day, or entire childhood feel so special. Sometimes, instead of running out to buy new toys or enroll in countless activities, simply hanging out with your kids, or letting them spend some sacred time alone under a strategically draped sheet, anchored by some particularly poised pillows can be the best gift of all.

Image: ©2012 John Kuczaia for The New York Times