Long weekends and Den Days

May 27, 2015

Den building Day for Save the Children

Save the Children Den Day

How was your long weekend? Ours ticked lots of Bank Holiday boxes including the park, a picnic, seeing friends and a touch of DIY (luckily, no traffic jams or trips to B&Q).

There was also some highly technical and very professional den making. Didn’t you love making dens as a child? Ours was in aid of a very good cause…

Den building day

Bunting and flags

Have you heard about Save the Children’s Den Day? Taking place from 29th May – 6th June, the idea is that you and your children pick a day and build a den to raise money for the charity’s work around the world.

Sunday felt like a Den Day to us. And ours was a professionally pegged affair (*cough*) with lots of decoration.

What we used to make our den:

  • A den base (aka the swing)
  • Blankets, pillows, the picnic mat
  • Pegs
  • Lots of bunting and decorations (pilfered from our play tent and E’s birthday pirate party)

Eliza absolutely loved it, and had very specific ideas about the decoration…it was very Bedouin tent meets village fete crossed with a glittery pirate.

Then the weather took a turn for the worse, so we fulfilled that other Bank Holiday activity, a BBQ in the rain.

I always feel sweetly nostalgic for this long weekend, as it was when I found out I was pregnant with Eliza. And this year was, of course, of first with our newly crawling uber curious den saboteur.

Crawling baby, Den Day

There’s more information about Save the Children Den Day here, and you can send for your own Den Day starter kit (including sponsor form). Let me know if you take part.

More posts: making a children’s play tent, felt ball garlands and a mini toddler room tour.

10 Comments

  • Alison

    May 27, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    Cuuuuute! I love making dens (er I mean G loves it). This one looks super cosy. I hadn’t heard of this Save The Children campaign- about to read up more on it.

    1. gillian

      May 27, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      It’s surely one of the perks of being a parent (right?) Eliza loved it. Such a fun charity idea x

  • Jodie

    May 27, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    That den is stunning!! It also sounds like you had a lovely long weekend.

    1. gillian

      May 27, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      Thank you! Yes it was lovely, how was yours? xx

  • Fiona

    May 27, 2015 at 7:26 pm

    Swing base den? Actual genius. I’ve never considered such structural innovation before! x

  • Jess @ Along Came Cherry

    May 28, 2015 at 8:18 am

    That looks great! I used to love making dens when I was little, don’t know what it is, they just feel so cosy and fun! x

  • Kathryn (@KatGotTheCream)

    May 28, 2015 at 10:11 am

    Cute den. My kids love making sofa forts and dens in their bedroom but i don’t think we’ve ever made one in the garden – must rectify that this summer! x

  • Adele @ Circus Queen

    May 28, 2015 at 1:08 pm

    This is a really interesting campaign. I’ll certainly check it out. We love making dens here. Loving the bunting too.

  • laura redburn

    May 29, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    ahh, i loved making dens/tents in my nans garden!

    (ps. love your dress)

  • 101 ideas para actividades en interiores para niños: cosas divertidas que hacer cuando estás en casa con tus hijos – Bebe

    March 16, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    […] una guarida! Saca todas las alfombras y cojines. Aquí está nuestro fuerte del jardín de los días […]

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Prev Post Next Post