Play sofa builds: 12 easy ideas for forts, slides and tunnels

The easiest play sofa builds are a tent, a den, a tunnel and a hill to slide down. Each takes about 1 to 5 minutes and uses the sofa's own pieces. Below are 12 builds for the 8 pieces of a Shappy Play Sofa, from a two-minute tent to a castle with Arches. For each one, we list the pieces, the time and the steps. Ten of the 12 need nothing but the sofa.

Play couch or play sofa, the ideas are the same. The times are for a grown-up building alone. With children helping, add a few minutes and a lot of opinions.

Which pieces do you build with?

A Shappy Play Sofa has 8 construction pieces:

• 2 seat modules. Each is two cushions sewn into one cover, so it folds open and shut like a book.
• 2 triangular backrests.
• 2 armrests.
• 2 round cushions.

All the base cushions are the same height, so the pieces line up level with each other. Opened out, the 160 cm sofa makes a 160 × 172.5 cm play mat. The Play Sofa Mini (120 × 60 × 45 cm) has the same 8 pieces, so most builds below work on it too, just smaller.

How do you build a fort or den with a play sofa?

1. The classic tent

Pieces: 2 seat modules, 2 triangular backrests, plus the armrests and round cushions as pillows. Time: about 2 minutes.

Open one seat module flat on the floor as the tent floor. Open the second into an upside-down V on top of it, like a book standing on its pages. Set a triangular backrest against each foot of the V, so it can't slide apart. The armrests and round cushions go inside as pillows.

2. Twin tents

Pieces: 2 seat modules, 2 triangular backrests, 2 armrests. Time: about 2 minutes.

Open each seat module into its own upside-down V on a rug, one tent for each child. Brace the feet of each tent with a triangle on one side and an armrest on the other. The photo at the top of this article shows two sofas, one tent on each, with a chimney made from an armrest and a round cushion. With one sofa, both tents stand straight on the rug.

3. The den with a window

Pieces: 2 seat modules, 1 triangular backrest, 2 armrests. Time: about 3 minutes.

Stand one seat module on its end, folded, as the first wall. Open the second into an upside-down L: one cushion stands as the other wall and the other lies across the top as the roof. Rest the free end of the roof on the folded module. Lay the triangle across the front as a window ledge, and put the armrests on the floor as a path to the door. Before anyone goes in, press the walls to check they stand firmly. Nobody climbs on the roof.

4. The crawl-through tunnel

Pieces: 2 seat modules, 2 triangular backrests, 2 armrests. Time: about 2 minutes.

Open both seat modules into upside-down Vs and stand them end to end, so the openings line up. Brace the feet on both sides with the triangles and the armrests. Children crawl in at one end and out at the other.

How do you make a slide or a ramp from a play sofa?

5. The hill

Pieces: 2 seat modules, 1 triangular backrest, 2 armrests. Time: about 2 minutes.

Open one seat module flat on the floor as the base. Open the second on top of it as a wide, low upside-down V, like a hill. Tuck the triangle and the two armrests under the peak to hold it up. Children climb up one side and slide down the other, sitting down.

6. The slide, with the Slide add-on

Pieces: the sofa, plus the Slide. Time: about 2 minutes.

Set the Slide against the sofa, with the sofa pushed against a wall, so the top edges meet. Children climb up and slide down to the floor, sitting down and feet first. Put a rug at the bottom for a soft finish. The Slide is one of our add-ons.

Which play sofa builds get children moving?

7. Stepping stones (the floor is lava)

Pieces: all 8. Time: about 1 minute.

Spread the pieces across a rug, a small step apart. Children cross the room without touching the floor. Start with the pieces close together. Keep every gap small enough to step across, not jump.

8. The obstacle course

Pieces: all 8. Time: about 5 minutes.

Open one seat module into an upside-down V to crawl through. Lay the triangles and the round cushions in a line as stepping stones. Put the two armrests end to end as a balance beam. Finish on the second seat module, opened flat as the finish. Time each round, or play follow the leader.

Which builds are good for pretend play?

9. The pirate ship

Pieces: all 8. Time: about 3 minutes.

Open both seat modules and lay them end to end as the deck. Put the triangles at the front as the bow. Line the sides with the armrests. One round cushion is the ship's wheel and the other is a lifebuoy. A cardboard tube makes a good telescope.

10. The puppet theatre or shop

Pieces: 1 seat module, 2 armrests. Time: about 2 minutes.

Stand a folded seat module upright as a counter. Children kneel behind it and use the top edge as a stage. Stand the armrests on either side as curtains. On other days it's a shop or a café, selling pretend food to a queue of soft toys.

11. The castle, with Arches

Pieces: the sofa, plus Arches. Time: about 5 minutes.

Stand the Arches side by side as the castle wall, with the arches as gates. Lay the seat modules on top as the roof. Set the triangular backrests on top of them as towers. Lean a round cushion against the side as a shield, and set the Slide next to the castle. The castle is for hiding in and peeking out of, not for climbing on. Arches for the Mini come in corduroy.

Which builds help children wind down?

12. The snug

Pieces: 2 seat modules, 2 triangular backrests, 1 armrest, 1 round cushion. Time: about 2 minutes.

Place the two triangles on the floor a little apart, with an armrest lying between them. Open one seat module and lay it across the triangles, so it dips gently onto the armrest. The armrest keeps the dip shallow. A round cushion is the pillow. For a roof, open the second seat module into an upside-down V over the top. The roof is for lying still. Take it off if children start to wriggle.

For more calm ideas, like a reading den or a living-room camp-out, see our screen-free play ideas.

What rules help when children build?

• Build on a rug or carpet, away from hard furniture and radiators.
• Keep builds low. Tall stacks can tip.
• One child at a time on ramps and slides, sitting down, feet first.
• Nobody sits under the slide while someone is sliding down.
• Stay nearby for anything children climb on.
• After a picnic or a messy game, take the covers off and wash them at 30 °C.

How long does it take to put the sofa back together?

A few minutes, once you know the order. Put the two seat modules down first, folded, side by side. Stand the triangular backrests along the back. Lay the armrests along the outer edges of the seat. Lean the round cushions against the triangles. Turning it into a race helps.

Ready to start building?

Every build here starts with the 8 pieces of a Play Sofa. 60,000 families have chosen Shappy so far. The Arches and the Slide can come later. Choose the 160 cm sofa or the Mini, with 30 days to return it.

See the play sofas

What else do parents ask about play sofa builds?

What can you build with a play sofa?

You can build tents, dens, tunnels, ramps, slides, stepping stones, ships, shops and snugs. With the 8 pieces of a Shappy Play Sofa, each of the 12 builds in this article takes about 1 to 5 minutes.

Do you need add-ons to build with a play sofa?

No. Ten of the 12 builds above use the sofa's own 8 pieces. The slide (build 6) uses the Slide add-on, and the castle (build 11) uses the Arches.

Do these builds work with the Play Sofa Mini?

Most of them do. The Mini has the same 8 pieces in a smaller size, 120 × 60 × 45 cm, so the builds come out smaller too.

How do you put a play sofa back together?

Start with the two folded seat modules, side by side. Then stand the triangular backrests along the back, lay the armrests along the outer edges and lean the round cushions against the triangles. It takes a few minutes.

How do you clean the sofa after messy play?

The covers come off and go in the washing machine at 30 °C. Wash all the covers together, so the colour changes evenly.