Remember when we said that picking our top 5 reasons to craft with your kids was the hardest assignment to date? Well we were wrong, so, so wrong. Forts people, forts. Our love for these wild and spontaneous structures knows no bounds. If you do one thing and one thing only with your kids (aside from loving, feeding, clothing, sheltering, and providing safety of course), build forts with them. The benefits will last a lifetime, we pinky swear on this one. So in no specific order and only broaching the tip of the iceberg on this one, here are our top 5 reasons to build forts with your kids.
5 Reasons to Make Forts with Your Kids!
1. Earthly Mechanics - How this world works - basic construction know how: First fort building attempts will most likely be made up pillows, couch cushions, and blankets. But as kids begin to develop better hand eye coordination and cognitive skills, fort building will likely move outside and get more complex. So use fort building to teach little ones how to use tools like a hammer, screw driver and eventually, a hand saw. learning to use these tools, and heftier materials also teaches kids about physics and mechanics. What better way to learn how the world works tan to make one of your own!
2. Time outside - fostering a love of nature: I know, I know, I said we had no favorites in this list, but I lied a little bit. Spending time outside and fostering a love of nature is our favorite! As technology pervades our every action, we are loosing touch with our beautiful planet. Building a fort in the backyard, or even one in a local park, is time outside, and away from screens. Providing a chance for kids to observe the beauty of the outdoor world, and hopefully fall in love with that time and space. The hope here is based on the principal that if you love something, you are more likely to take care of it. Building forts outside gives kids a chance to cultivate a love of nature, hopefully translating into a deep love and sense of duty in caring for one beautiful, and precious planet.
3. Teamwork and Collaboration: It may sound cliche (okay it's totally cliche), but teamwork makes the dream work! Have you witnessed the scope of a child's imagination? Then you know how complex this fort building proposition can get. Which is why it helps to build forts with friends. Many hands make light work, but they also teach us how to work together, to collaborate, and to communicate effectively. Aren't forts just the best?
4. A Place of Their Own: Forts also provide privacy. As kids get older it is important that they have the space to process all the new information coming at them. Forts make space for that information to find a home. A space that is just for them, of their own making, without distraction from the outside world.
5. Unstructured Play: This one might be our second favorite. The live of modern days kids can sometimes be pretty scheduled out. Wake up, school, after school activities, homework, dinner, sleep, sound familiar? With all this scheduled time, the time for unstructured play and the creativity it fosters is slowly disappearing. Forts can fix that. With a few simple ingredients, forts can entertain kids all day long. From planning, to construction, to the games made up to play in them, forts are an incredible resource of unstructured play.
Free DIY Crafting Activity!:
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A few of our Favorite Supplies:
Imagine Childhood Book (includes lots of DIY fort projects)
xox
~i.c.
