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Magnetic Pillow Fort thrills the kids and spares the couch

It takes work and vigilance to raise little ones at home. You know that wonderful age range; too old to sleep all day, too young to send off to pre-kindergarten. As parents, we can count on kids indulging their curiosity whenever our backs are turned. However, the latest in imagination furniture offers respite (and a lot of fun). Magnetic Pillow Fort combines foam cushions and custom magnets for safe and creative open-ended play.

Even in this age of modern entertainment, there’s one kind of game that needs neither screens nor batteries: living room fort-building. But, the materials are generally whatever kids can scavenge from around the house. Bedding, chairs, and couch cushions are typical targets, often to the chagrin of adults. Fort offers modular block structures that let kids build on their own without causing a furniture inconvenience or requiring parental intervention.

  • Cushions, in blue and green, stacked up to resemble a house (top) and hut (bottom).
  • Blue and green cushions stacked up to create a play fort (top) and block wall (bottom).

Fort comes as a 12-piece set made up of 5 different shapes: squares, rectangles, triangles, arches, and half-circles. Each pillow measures 5 inches thick and up to 26 inches long. Ideal for kids, Fort is neither too heavy nor cumbersome. The polyurethane foam stuffed within is dense enough to provide structure, yet soft and flexible enough for safe play. However, the real magic comes from the embedded magnets.

Fort pillows contain custom neodymium magnets sewn tight at ends and corners. The magnets are designed to be strong enough to hold together, yet not so strong that your three-year-old won’t be able to pull them apart. Not only does this help prevent accidental collapse (and the resulting frustration), but it’s all the more satisfying for when kids charge into their constructions to knock them down. Plus, the stitching leaves enough room to flip the magnets for the best north-south connections.

  • A child crawling into a play structure made of Magnetic Pillow Fort cushions.
  • A small girl crawling out of a fort made of foam cushions.
  • A little boy pulling apart two cushions attached by embedded magnets.

Each magnetic pillow uses durable synthetic leather for the outside fabric. This kind of material is soft, waterproof, and easy to clean. Parents will worry less about food, drinks, or even pets causing permanent damage through play. In addition to safety testing by a third party, the material is compliant with ASTM-F963 standards.

The Magnetic Pillow Fort is currently funding on Kickstarter. More than 7800 backers have helped raise over US$2.3 million dollars in a day, and the campaign still has over three weeks of funding left to go. A pledge of $259 gets you one magnetic Fort in choice of six colors and options for accessories. You can pledge $219 for a non-magnetic version. If everything goes according to schedule, backers can expect shipments to start September 2021.

Source: Kickstarter