Children's Indoor Tents

What a children's indoor tent is

An indoor play tent turns the corner of a bedroom or living room into a den: a place to read, play, hide from a sibling or have a quiet minute. It stands on its own on the floor, needs no pegs, and folds flat or pops down when the room is needed back. The tents here are made for play, so they are soft, light and easy to move from room to room. Most also say they can go outside on a fine day.

Castles, teepees, bed tents, ball pools and tunnels

• Castle and princess tents are the biggest group here, from a 90 by 75 by 75cm pop-up den to a 105 by 120 by 128cm castle with room for a playdate. See children's tents.
• Teepees for a reading corner, in cotton, canvas or polyester. See play teepees.
• Bed tents: a pop-up castle bed tent for a single or bunk bed, and a dome tent that fits over a bed or holds a baby mattress or cot. See bed tents.
• Ball pools and playpens with mesh, PVC or padded walls. See ball pit tents.
• Crawl tunnels in 3m, 5m and 8m lengths. See play tunnels.

Measure the room first

A play tent always looks smaller in the picture than it is on the bedroom floor. Measure the space, and leave room round it to get in and out and to open the door of the room. The sizes here run from the 90 by 75cm princess den through the 112 by 75cm ice cream car and the 120 by 100cm khaki playhouse to castles and teepees more than a metre across. The castle bed tent is 140 by 100 by 80cm and is made to sit on a single bed or a bunk, so measure the mattress before you order one of those.

Frames, fabrics and keeping it clean

Pop-up tents have a sprung frame that opens the moment they leave the bag, which is quick but lively, so open and fold them away from faces. The others stand on poles: fibreglass on the dome bed tent, PVC on the teepees, and a metal tube frame on some castle versions. Fabrics run from polyester and thickened Oxford cloth to cotton and canvas. For cleaning, the dome bed tent is machine washable and the PVC and padded ball pools wipe clean. Some castles are sold with a string of lights or a lamp: use the ones made for it, and keep any play tent away from heaters and other lamps.

Questions people ask about indoor play tents

What age are they for?

Each product states its own, where the maker gives one: one castle says 0 to 3 years, the princess den 4 to 6, and the dome bed tent 3 to 7. Check it on the product page, and supervise young children.

Will a bed tent fit my child's bed?

The castle bed tent is made for single and bunk beds. Measure the mattress and compare it with the size on the product page.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when that tent usually arrives, so check it before ordering for a set date.

More to look at

• Children's tents
• Play teepees
• Bed tents
• Ball pit tents
• Play tunnels
• All kids' tents
• Guide: Kids' tents and indoor play tents