Are your kids keen to spend a night in their secret hideout at home or sleep under the stars in their makeshift outdoor caves?  Then why not encourage them to take part in Save the Children’s Den Day?

Inviting people to pick a date between 29th May and 6th June and get sponsored to spend a day or night in their den, the new fundraising event will help the international charity build better lives for children around the world who don’t have a safe place to sleep or play.

Taking part is easy, whether you pile up cushions and create a bed-sheet teepee, transform the sitting room into a huge den, or a cardboard box into the entrance to a magical world, your imagination is the only limit.

And for some printable advice that might help spark the imaginations of your budding architects then click on the links below…

If you sign up to take part in the event at denday.org you can ask for a free kit packed with ideas and tips to be sent to you or you can tick the box to just have a link to it emailed to you so you can print it out yourself.  As well as a poster to spread the word and a flag to don the top of your den, the downloads also include a checklist of what you might need to build a den, a chart to help you decide what type of den to build and a sign to display outside it.  Will you choose a Lavish Lair, Cardboard Cottage, Outdoor Adventure or Secret Sofa Hideout?

Elsewhere on the web, the Woodland Trust’s kids’ club Nature Detectives hosts printable advice on heading into the woods to build a den which includes the suggestion of building a mini den for a teddy, doll or finger puppet so little brothers and sisters can join in too.

Muddyfaces, the “leading shop for Forest School tools and outdoor play equipment”, hosts a free 20 page document all about den and shelter building because “The materials available outdoors such as soil and leaves, sticks and stones are ideal for children to manipulate and experiment with. There are interesting and unusual places to hide, climb and balance with a range of elements that encourage imaginative, challenging and creative play.  Den building allows children to interact with natural elements. They learn to negotiate, problem solve, resolve, manage and work as a team.”

And for some more handy tips on the art of den building head to the Joules blog.

Share photos of your dream den and find out what others have built by using #DenDay on Twitter – and don’t forget to let @InkFactory see too!

Do you love finding printables on the internet?  Do you have particular favourites?  Or have you featured some on your own blog?  Email karen.malpass@inkfactory.com with your links and we may be able to feature them in a future post.