Building Confidence in Children With Playhouse Forts
Posted June 24, 2018 by Fort Magic
Building confidence in children is a priority for parents and educators. Fortunately, creating a playhouse fort is one of the easiest ways to boost a kid’s self-esteem! And fort building is more than a timelessly fun activity. It helps children gain the confidence they need to succeed.
The Fundamentals of Play
Playtime is work for children, even though they are having a great time. Through play, kids develop problem-solving skills. When they choose to build a castle fort or a pirate’s ship, they have to make a plan. Sometimes they get it wrong. Figuring out how to make the playhouse fort they want makes them capable. And these problem-solving skills help them get through school and life!
Playing with Your Kids
When parents play with their kids, it shows the children they are worth their time. Kids feel loved when parents take time to be in their world. Let the children initiate the play activities. Resist the urge to take over and tell them how to build a fort. After all, it’s their playhouse. And it’s an honor and privilege if they let you share it with them for awhile!
It Takes a Village to Build a Playhouse
Building a playhouse fort is more fun when other kids help! Let your kids ask a few friends and neighbors to come over and help. Teamwork teaches kids the advantages of working together. They need to solve problems, share ideas, and learn how to get along to achieve a common goal. Let minor indifferences happen. Play teaches kids about how to manage their emotions and express themselves. And working as a team builds confidence in all the kids who build the playhouse!
For Kids Only!
Spending time without adults gives kids a feeling of independence. So don’t feel offended if they tell you their playhouse is for kids only! Their private space will be located in the safety of your home or backyard. Let them enjoy doing their own thing without the constant supervision of adult eyes. (And when you check on them, do it quietly without disturbing their independent play.)
Just Add Music
Listening to music, singing, and playing instruments are excellent ways for kids to gain confidence. They can turn the playhouse fort into a club for kids, music studio or performance stage! Provide the instruments and let the kids do the rest. Include recorders, tambourines, drums, and xylophones. Invite the parents to see the show the kids created just for them!
Let the Imagination Run Wild
Imagination and creativity give kids a means of self-expression. Give them books, paper, crayons, and homemade play dough to make their own artwork. Encourage them to display their work on the walls of their playhouse. Help them transform their fort into a craft shop or art gallery for kids! Ask them to make a picture of their favorite scene in a book. Often kids relate to certain characters in a book. And these associations also help them get to know themselves and build confidence.
Dare to Dream
Building forts give kids a chance to dream. They can become royalty in a castle fort or nurses and doctors in a clinic fort. Maybe they want to build a fort with a play swimming pool and inflatable palm trees to pretend they are vacationing on a tropical island. When kids dare to dream, they gain confidence to make those dreams come true in the future!
All it takes is a Fort Magic kit and plenty of kid-friendly ideas to build a playhouse fort children love! And when they finish the fort and use it, they become confident and happy. How do you use fort building and playtime to build confidence in your kids? Share your ideas with us below!
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Photo Credits:
The Artful Parent Blog: One of our absolute favorite creative blogs for children and families. The Artful Parent blog is filled with simple ideas to fill your family’s life with art and creativity. A must see blog for sure!
Learn With Play At Home Blog: An inspiring educational blog created by a primary teacher that strongly believes in making learning FUN & seamless through childhood playtime ideas and activities.
Two-Daloo Blog: The Two-Daloo Blog is passionately dedicated to the idea that every child should have the chance to discover the world at his/her own pace through hands-on exploration and play-based learning.
Uncommon Designs Blog: Uncommon Designs is a blog dedicated to creating a beautiful life. From special touches in your home to making handmade gifts, this fun blog shares projects and ideas that are both “on trend” and classic. If you enjoy creating, then Uncommon Designs is the perfect place for you.
Meri Cherry: The Meri Cherry blog is a tremendously awesome resource on all things creative, artistic and beautiful in the world of kids crafting. Full of gorgeous, fun and inspiring ideas for your family playtime, you’ll simply love the hands-on-learning ideas she posts each week.
Fort Magic Customer Photos via Facebook: Visit our Fort Magic Facebook page to see our customer creativity shine with fun pics and videos of families enjoying their Fort Magic kit during playtime.
Fort Magic Customer Photos via Instagram: Visit our Fort Magic Instagram page to see our customer creativity shine with fun pics and videos of families enjoying their Fort Magic kit during playtime.
