Celebrate Birthdays and Growing Up with Forts!
Posted September 28, 2016 by Fort Magic
Birthdays celebrate growth. The marks running up the door molding tick off our children’s growth in inches, as the years seem to be running away at a too fast pace. Outgrown clothes show how quickly the baby pudginess has transformed into bony frames and strengthening muscles. How does it all happen so quickly? While parents may pine for the days of tinier footprints in the sandbox, the good times do continue as our kids grow older. Watching the budding curiosity and independent thinking of our children as they discover the world around them proves unmatched in wonder. And forts are just the perfect creative place to celebrate birthdays and growing up! Fort building adds a fun twist to the party. Nobody outgrows the joy of building a fort! So, no matter the age of your child or the guests invited, grab the Fort Magic kit and let’s throw a birthday party to remember.
Fort Magic sticks and connectors form obstacle course elements., goals for soccer, goalposts for flag football and more. And, sports of all kinds teach kids and adults teamwork, good sportsmanship and respect for one another. Cheering from the sidelines lends worth to each participant. Choose a particular sports theme such as football. Go for the gold with an Olympic theme, complete with an opening ceremonies parade. Add silly games along the lines of the television show, Wipeout. Or, bring on the competition with endurance courses to mimic American Ninja Warrior. Teamwork and encouraging one another, whether adult or child, expresses value for all people.
Add some splash to a birthday party and let the giggles begin! If you have a pool, create cabana forts with Fort Magic sticks and pool noodle bases to float atop the turquoise waters. Beach games such as sand volleyball and water polo, Marco Polo or underwater tag rounds out the fun in the sun. For younger crowds or lack of a swimming hole, use kiddie pools or a slip and slide. Construct beach hut forts over the liquid play area or arching forts over the flow of water. (And, with all water play, provide diligent supervision for safely.)
No birthday party feels complete without balloons. Imagine a fort filled with balloons! Adding a few helium balloons to the mix makes for a top to bottom maze of color. Just be sure to keep those lighter than air objects under the protective fort top! And, for the fun that amazes all ages, invite a balloon artist to the party. (Or, practice your skills before the party.) The twisting of latex shapes into animals and flowers, crowns and swords entertain everyone for hours. And, you can coordinate the artistic options with your zoo, garden or castle fort theme.
A ring of fort teepees around a campfire hosts boys or girls for an overnight birthday celebration. Hot dogs, s’mores, and camper pies offer a feast where the cooking is half the fun. Silly songs sung with a guitar strumming or acapella get kids laughing and adults smiling. Of course, once the sun sets, stars provide the wonder and firefly catching adds magic. (If the festivities are indoors, construct DIY star projectors for inside the forts.) Memories and stories of the birthday boy or girl shared in the moonlight bond even the shyest of guests. And, of course, the night closes with scary ghost stories for those old enough to handle the content.
Magic delights the young at heart. With Fort Magic sticks and connectors and the family’s help, construct a stage area and put up a curtain. Ask a talented friend, hire a local magician or get each family member practicing a trick to perform on the big night. Collect top hats, capes, and stuffed animal bunnies. A few magic wands, coins, decks of cards and your party guests can practice their slight of hand as well. You Tube offers great instructional videos for simple to complicated magic tricks. Remember to let adults and children alike participate for the best time ever! And, maybe, just maybe for a moment you can enjoy the illusion that your babies will never grow up.
No matter how your family chooses to celebrate a birthday or throw a party, be sure it expresses and honors the birthday child, first and foremost. The perfectly printed invitations, creative tables, and perfectly themed favors will likely fade from memory. But, the laughter in and around a birthday fort that has meaning to the honoree lasts. So, this year, celebrate the unique passions and life of your little one and go all out, not in your planning, but in your excitement over the growing personality and independence of this young one. For in the blink of an eye, they will be the ones throwing the party.
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Kids Activities Blog: A tremendous resource on all things kids-activities based, you can explore hundreds of ideas for learning and playtime for children and families ages toddler – teens.
