Play Tents & Teepees

Teepee or pop-up

Teepees are built around timber poles and canvas or cotton fabric. They stand up as a piece of furniture rather than a toy, which is why they suit bedrooms and living rooms where something garish would grate. They take a few minutes to assemble and stay up.

Pop-up tents spring open in seconds and collapse into a flat disc. They are the practical choice for backyards, holidays and grandparents' houses, and children can put them up themselves.

Why children want an enclosed space

A tent gives a child somewhere that is theirs, at a scale that fits them, with a door they control. That is a surprisingly powerful thing in a house built entirely for adults, and it is why a simple fabric hideout often gets more use than an expensive toy.

They also make brilliant reading nooks. A cushion, a torch and a stack of books turns a teepee into the quietest place in the house.

Indoors and outdoors

Cotton and canvas teepees are indoor items — leave one out in the weather and it will mildew. Polyester pop-up tents handle the backyard and dry quickly, though they should not live outside permanently either.

If a tent has been out in dew or rain, open it up in the sun until it is properly dry before folding it away.

Tunnels and connecting sets

Pop-up tunnels clip onto many tents to build a connected course. For toddlers this transforms a static hideout into something to move through, and the crawling itself is half the appeal.