For the Kids: Secret Forts Indoors Kids spend a lot more time indoors this time of year, and they need their own space. My brother and I made our own secret fort underneath our unfinished basement's stairs when we were kids. All it took was a rug remnant on the floor, lots of paint to decorate the backs of the risers, and a notebook to record our secret meetings and make plans. For what, I have no idea, but we were out of our parents' hair for hours on end. Here's how designers are creating some clever secret forts for kids today.