It is no secret that babies love comfort. A new, cozy place with toys and their favorite people nearby is the best way to soothe a little one and to get them to fall asleep. But what if you don’t have enough space inside of your house to set up a crib? We have the solution for you! An indoor tent gives you all the benefits of a playpen but opens up your living space.
What is an Indoor Tent?
An indoor tent is a small, light, fabric structure that has been designed to feel like a home for your baby. The best comes from either mesh or breathable cloth with a waterproof cover on top. It can be stored and folded easily in its travel bag when not in use, making it ideal for taking on vacation or moving around the house as needed.
While most indoor tents are meant for infants, you can use them to meet all of your baby’s needs. They are very useful for sleeping, playing, and just rocking in general. Furthermore, you can use it to keep your baby warm or cool, depending on which material the tent is made from.
The Advantages of Kids Indoor Tents
The Montessori approach aims to teach babies how to be independent and to be able to interact with the world around them. In order to achieve this, many Montessori schools like Montessori Academy allow children to spend at least half of the day in a play environment. Indoor tents are one of the most practical ways of making this happen. They can give your baby a sense of freedom while being close enough for you to keep an eye on children throughout the day and night. Apart from that, there are other benefits your kids can gain when playing with indoor tents at home:
- Imagination Set Free: The best way to grow a child’s smarts is the creation of new worlds. Playing with an indoor tent helps your child create their own miniature world and let them explore and experience this new environment. It will help your little ones develop a sense of imagination, which will help them later in life, for example, when reading books or watching movies.
- Physical Development: Playing inside an indoor tent helps develop your child’s large muscle groups. Crawling, pulling, and sitting down help strengthen muscles used for later walking and running. They are a great way to introduce physical activity into your child’s life.
- Vocabulary: Indoor tents are a great way to encourage your child to communicate and learn new words. They love pointing out the various objects they see while looking at the outside world through their window. Your child can practice naming them, telling you what is inside the tent, or even describing what they see at that very moment. Communication will begin to flow more easily as your baby gains vocabulary skills.
8 Engaging Ways To Use An Indoor Tent With Your Baby
Once your toddler is sitting up independently, you can use the indoor tent to keep them safe in a confined space with toys, Montessori-friendly books, and such. It is a great place for an infant to stay for short periods of time.
Here are some interesting and engaging ways you can use the tent with a baby:
1. An Indoor Tent Is A Secret Hideout
You can use an indoor tent for secret playtime and family fun activities with your baby. When you need some privacy but still want to keep an eye on your little one, a tent can provide you with both. Simply place the tent in the corner of the room, move the furniture away and plug in a soft nightlight. Your baby will love hiding from prying eyes with their favorite toys.
2. A Indoor Tent Makes a Wonderful Reading Nook
You can bring books from home and read to your baby in the tent with the minimal interruption—the perfect time to read it is at night, before bedtime. Babies will love sneakily peeking at you through a small hole or even looking out the window to see what you are reading. At bedtime, place a blanket over the entrance and make sure you keep it closed until your baby is asleep.
3. An Indoor Tent Is A Place To Freely Express Big Emotion
Babies process emotion differently than full-grown adults do, which means they can have outbursts that seem scary to the people around them. While this is not abnormal and should not be discouraged, it can be overwhelming for new parents. An indoor tent makes a safe place for your child to express all of their big emotions safely.
When your baby is having a meltdown or is just tired of being out, take them inside the tent for a brief period. It gives you a chance to give them some space for whatever feelings they may have, and it helps you not get frustrated! Remember that toddlers love routine and consistency, and the tent can become part of their daily life.
4. Use the tent As A Safe Play Area For Baby
Your baby must get plenty of playtime during their first few years. And although a “play area” outside of the home is best, it is not always possible to arrange this in your home or apartment. An indoor tent makes an ideal space for babies to play with their toys and explore independently. It is a great opportunity to develop your child’s gross and fine motor skills, which will be helpful when they start to crawl, walk and play outside.
5. A Tent Is a Cozy Cocoon
The cozy, warm material of the tent creates the perfect place for an infant to lay down and relax. Babies will love crawling in and pulling the cover over their heads. An indoor tent will create a fun space where your baby can feel secure and listen to soft music as they doze off into dreamland. You can add a small rug and some pillows and witness as the tent becomes your baby’s favorite spot to rest.
6. Use The Tent For Feeding
The tent can be your baby’s feeding nook. It is a great place for tummy time as you can keep them contained as they eat and then quickly remove them back into their own space once done. They will easily learn how to manipulate objects, which is a foundation for when they start using real utensils for food. You can also play around with their food when you are in the tent, helping shape what foods they like and how much of it they get without worrying about messes or spills.
7. Learning Activities
You can turn indoor tents into a learning center for your baby. Play around with the tent and see what your little one does when you change it to different themes and colors. Learning takes on a whole new meaning in a special way with an indoor tent, perfect for infants or toddlers. As they grow older, their curiosity will increase by learning and exploration activities inside, where they can have their own space all to themselves.
8. An Indoor Tent Is A Good Place to Soundproof
An indoor tent is a great soundproofing tool, especially for babies. Babies’ ears are not fully developed at birth, and due to their small size, the noise of surroundings can often be louder and more distracting compared to adults’ hearing.
By using the indoor tent, you can ensure that your child will only hear the gentle sounds of nature without causing them any harm. An indoor tent provides a quiet environment with no distractions and helps your child develop better hearing.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways you can use an indoor tent. Using it in different ways and combining it with many other activities will create a fun-filled environment. If your child becomes bored with their indoor tent, you can always do something new with it, so they stay entertained and learn something new along the way. With a suitable amount of creativity and planning, your indoor tent can become a haven for your baby while also extending the time they will interact with their surroundings.
Montessori Academy understands the importance of a healthy, balanced lifestyle for children. We believe that the pleasant environment in which children live influences their mental and physical development. The indoor tent is an excellent addition to your child’s life as it provides both shelter and entertainment for them. We encourage you to consider purchasing one for your baby. For more information, you may contact us at (310) 215 -3388 for Culver City and (323) 795-0200 for West Adams.
