The Safety of the Blanket Fort

If you had walked into the Friends Room in the Gulfport Public Library lobby Friday night, you would have seen an odd sight: blankets and sheets draped over chairs, adults sitting around the perimeter of the room, and “Bears” playing at the front of the room.

Had you stayed, you would have smelled popcorn and, upon looking around, noticed the odd green-socked foot sticking out from underneath one of the blanket forts. Youth Librarian Cailey Klasson, wearing green PJs, doled out popcorn to kids who popped out from between the forts for a snack, then disappeared again.

The forts were part of Family Blanket Fort Night, the first of its kind at the Gulfport Library. Kids arrived in their pajamas, old blankets and sheets in tow, and built forts using the chairs in the Friends room. By 8 p.m., some had crawled into their forts and fallen asleep while others came out to watch the rest of the movie.