A card table is the classic "fort".

When she outgrows the fort, she'll have a craft and work table, even a homework table.

Since it is a designated play area, I would just leave it be. Everytime I've come up with something more structured than their imaginative play, it just sits and is not played with. If that won't work, a small tent would create the cave feeling.

Since I have a kid household, I don't think anything they play with looks strange. I've also found most things are pretty short-lived. The only thing I can think of for higher up would be some type of loft bed. You could put one of those bed tents on top of that, but if it's hard to get in and out of, she'll probably just build another fort on the floor.

Gloria

Here is a link that might be useful: play tents

When I was a kid, my Mom let me use two straight-back chairs, placed back to back and a couple feet apart. A blanket or sheet was draped over the tops of the chairbacks to make a cozy hideaway. Happy memories!

Sue

well i'm 14 and what i do is use some old furniture. you can think of some wild, crazy ideas if you use some old couches and blankets for the top. i use couches, chairs, pillows, blankets to put over the top. i make beds inside of it and i have many friends spend the night inside of it because i make soo many rooms inside of it. its a fun thing to do and if you want it to be, it can be permanent.

My kids love to make forts too. I would suggest getting some boxes and taping them together. Even the meat size boxes will work if you use several. You can cut out places for windows and doors and add as many rooms as you like.

We put together about 30 packing boxes last fall after we moved. The kids weren't happy with me when I took it down after about two months. They were not playing with it any more at that point.

Here's a Hotlink below to a selection of bunk/loft beds from Rooms-to-Go. Just for some ideas to get you started .....

For a fast-and-easy fort -- a couple of those long folding party tables -- great for forts AND for craft tables too!

http://www.searsroomforkids.com/roomforkids/prod_display1.asp?product=84206&partner=10151

Here's one of those plastic playhouses!

http://www.thehappykidcompany.com/PhotoGallery.html

Here (above) is another link to a GREAT idea for quick and easy forts!

Here is a link that might be useful: Some ideas for loft or bunk style fort furniture

I use a spring clamp to fasten sheets or blankets or throws to the bunk bed, the ladder, etc.

I find that my kids' impromptu installations WILL be left out indefinitely, if I allow it. I can't stand it, for them to be up for a week (since it's in the LR, usually), but I allow them three days. THEN they are required to break it down and put it away.

But honestly, the building of it is a huge chunk of the fun. And they don't usually play w/ it on day 3 at all, and sometimes not on day 2.

What I *should* do is insist that there's a limit--12 Barbies, 12 stuffed animals, 3 Imaginext castles, or something. So that they don't spend ALL their time setting up and never getting to play.