How useful is a teepee/play tent - observations from practice

You should know, I am lucky enough to call a very inquisitive and bright little fellow my son. Jakob is very talkative, asks many questions, and uses every opportunity to explore the world, but he also equally enjoys routines and structured daily schedules, and can easily become overstimulated. I was very curious to see if and how he would take to a play tent.

When the prototype of our teepee arrived at our home, Jakob was instantly more than thrilled with it. He actively helped me set it up, and when it stood before us fully assembled after just a few minutes, his joy was unmistakable. We hadn't had anything comparable at home before... so no play tent/playhouse or anything similar... and he immediately asked if this was now HIS house, haha. When I told him it belonged to him and he could do whatever he wanted with it, his eyes lit up. He immediately dragged the heart-shaped pillow from his bed, a blanket from the living room, and several children's books and old magazines into his teepee and invited me to come inside. We spent over 1.5 hours in the tent... reading, cuddling... and he was very enthusiastic about the window, which he kept wanting to open and close, and the pom-pom trim, where he quickly figured out that he could fully close and reopen the entrance by slightly twisting the pom-poms. It was wonderful to see how much joy it brought him.

After playing, I folded it up like an umbrella and stored it in the corner, and for the next 14 days, he wanted me to set it up for him almost every day so we could play in it... sometimes in the living room, sometimes in his bedroom, but also occasionally on the terrace or in the garden... honestly, we never got bored.

That is why I decided to give the assembled teepee a permanent spot in the living room, and I was curious to see if its usage would change if he didn't always have to ask me to set it up, but instead had it available, ready-to-go at all times.

And it was indeed interesting to observe! The frequency barely changed... it was and still is played with almost daily... but I noticed that he now also uses it in between as a kind of "retreat." For example, after a long day at kindergarten followed by errands and a playground visit, his first path at home is almost always to the teepee... and then usually alone, while I, for instance, put the groceries in the fridge... as if he is recovering from the strains of the day and finding peace in it. He also sometimes uses it after a lost board game or other frustrating events... as if he is subconsciously using it as a tool for emotional regulation.

For me, as an aspiring psychologist, these observations were highly interesting, and I was very positively surprised by the benefits the teepee provides. There is hardly any other toy within our four walls that brings him 1. so much, 2. such multifaceted, and 3. such long-lasting joy... and that 4. also possesses meaningful added value... a win all down the line!

If you have children in your life (which I assume, given that you are reading my blog), then you likely know full well that not every toy brings the same amount of fun and enthusiasm. Some gifts are thrown into a corner after a few minutes and never looked at again, while others become a beloved companion for many years. Often, it is impossible to tell at the time of purchase whether the former or the latter will be the case. In any case, with my son and the teepee, it was love at first sight! And since I am more than convinced by the beneficial pedagogical and psychological aspects, I can wholeheartedly recommend purchasing one!

With that in mind, have fun playing, cuddling, and finding some peace,

yours, Martina from LIONHERZ