Blankets on a shelf: fold to its depth and show an edge

Blankets hidden behind other blankets are easy to forget. A blanket hanging over the front of a shelf can get pulled out accidentally. Arrange one reachable shelf of clean, dry blankets and use the shelf depth to guide the fold. This job concerns stored blankets, separate from the throw currently being used on the sofa.

Put one blanket on a clean surface first. Look at the width and depth of its agreed space. Comparing one folded bundle with the shelf is enough; nobody needs to measure the whole cupboard or move any shelves.

Try the thickest blanket first

Fold the blanket in your usual way. Adjust the final fold to the shelf depth, leaving a little room before the front edge. Put the bundle in and check that it rests steadily. If it becomes too thick, a wider bundle may work better than several small folds piled together.

The thickest blanket is a useful trial because it needs the most height. Once that bundle fits, the child can use roughly the same depth for thinner blankets. The bundles do not have to be equally tall.

Leave a colour or edge visible for each blanket. A stack only works if the child can distinguish its contents. If the shelf allows two low stacks, that may be easier than one tall stack.

Lea has one thick grey blanket and two thin striped ones. The grey blanket sits alone on the left. The striped blankets form a low stack on the right, with both edges visible. She retrieves the lower striped blanket while supporting the top one with her hand, then returns both.