If everything had to be flame-retardant then we couldn't even put up posters or maps, or anything made from paper!! I haven't heard that before, and schools certainly don't follow that.

Safety is an important thing to think about though. The exits need to remain clear, and having a lot of fabric hanging down could cause tripping, and possibly a fire hazard. But if you keep safety at the front of your mind when you are building your tent area, then you should do OK.
I personally would not set up a real tent in a room long term, they get stuffy and could be a safety hazard if you all had to leave quickly. The simpler the better, in my opinion. We've set up tents temporarily for VBS, and they really can "get in the way" if your space isn't large enough, and they are hard to get in and out of with a big group.

Since you can't hang things from your ceiling, what about using PVC pipe to build a frame so the posts can be right up against a wall. That should easily hold the fabic and then you can make sure the door of your "tent" is large and open for easy access and exiting.

Just some thoughts.

If you do end up making some sort of tent and find that special fabric isn't required, do stick with your idea of cotton. It is safer (fire speaking) than most synthetics.

 

Also.... fire safety is much more than 'fabrics'.  Check what your fabrics are touching, such as lighting fixtures (don't let them touch!).

 

Visually inspect all extension cords and make sure your outlets are modern.

 

Don't use lamps near fabrics, and never use an open flame around children, unless you have accounted for safe distances and have a wait to immediately put out a flame on anything or anybody!

Corine

(fire investigator's wife)

You can get flame retardant spray for fabrics and also flame retardant fabrics such as gossamer from Prom and party suppliers. One resource is Stumps party catalog. YOu can order online at: http://www.stumpsparty.com/
Jaymie

Wormy Notes:

 

At Rotation.org, we typically ALTER LESSONS that suggest the use of a candle or open flame, or the creation of something like a candle project that kids might be tempted to go home and light.

 

We've even nuked lessons that suggest setting a gas on fire as part of a "science" demonstration!

 

Every Sunday School teacher needs to know where the fire extinguishers are.

If you are creating a tent out of non-flame-retardant cloth, then you might consider locating a fire extinguisher IN that room.  The odds of having a fire inside a creatively decorated room are extremely extremely low, if common sense is used.