Fort Building Inspires Happiness & Creativity
Posted September 2, 2020 by Fort Magic
Fort building is timeless. More than likely it’s something that you did as a child and that your child now loves to do as well. But, have you ever thought about why you enjoyed this activity so much? With a Fort Magic building kit, creating an amazing structure is easier than ever. But did you know fort building inspires happiness and creativity? Well, apart from being an entertaining activity, there may actually be some science behind this playtime favorite that spans generations.
A Fort Provides Security
The world is a big place, and at times, a bit scary. Things seem to be constantly changing and many of us are desperate for a sense of normalcy right now. With kids, it’s no different. They too yearn for feelings of safety and security in everyday life, and that is exactly what a fort provides.
Not only does this tight space give a sense of security, but building it is an excellent way to relieve stress. It is an outlet and a way to express leadership, creativity, and even collaboration by working with parents, friends, or siblings. It provides a break from routine and reality, as well as the responsibilities of chores and schoolwork.
Fort Building Allows Creativity
Allowing your children to be creative through an outlet like fort-building can help to develop self-confidence, acceptance, and even feelings of love. These all lead to happiness that can have an impact lasting all the way into adulthood. Being creative is a fulfilling adventure, especially for children. Not only are they able to create something using their experiences, but they can also create through their feelings, positively affecting their emotional health.
A word of warning, however, is that you should never force creativity. Allow your children to explore and develop their imagination without being pressured to do so. Forcing it may actually cause undue stress or a negative reaction to engaging in a certain activity.
Fort Building Inspires Happiness
While this may be an activity your kids enjoy, it’s also an opportunity to work with their hands. This action can reduce stress, encourage health, and even calm anxiety. Working with their hands provides a sense of importance and can impact their engagement with others, producing higher self-esteem, and encouraging long-term happiness.
Kids need playtime because this is how they make sense of the world. It allows them to process those things that are happening at school and in their personal life. It also provides an opportunity for them to use their imagination and ultimately be in control of what happens.
Strengthening the Family Unit
Another way that this activity can encourage happiness is by strengthening the family unit. It allows everyone to step away from their phones, the TV, and video games and come together to work toward a common goal of building a structure. Children are granted undivided attention from their parents allowing them to communicate freely, not only about the project but about their thoughts and feelings on what is going on in the world and in their lives.
Happiness, Creativity, and Education
If fort building inspires happiness and creativity, how can these factors make a difference in education? First, a child who is happy will tend to be more engaged, energetic, motivated, resilient, and productive. Their creativity helps to build confidence which can also promote leadership skills, a willingness to try new things, and the ability to think through problems critically while coming up with adequate solutions.
Creating a structure also means they are using and sharpening their basic math skills. This may include fundamental geometry, sorting, measuring, and problem-solving. Using their hands leads to the sharpening of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination which are vital for young children learning to write. With the development of these STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills through a creative outlet, your child will not only be happier, but he or she will also be more successful in school and in the workforce.
Getting Started
So how do you get started with your fort that it inspires creativity and happiness? First, allow your children to come up with a design for their Fort Magic building kit. From there, let them plan how they think it should be put together and follow through by helping them assemble it. Let them navigate any issues that may arise by answering their questions and providing gentle guidance.
From there, let even more fun begin! Gather old sheets, towels, or even old clothing and allow them to use the fabric clips to hang walls and a roof. Next, they can paint, draw, or cut out shapes in the “walls,” hang string lights, or even “set up camp” in their structure. The beauty of a Fort Magic building kit is that it can be whatever they want and decorate however they want. With their imagination, the types of structures they can create are endless!
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.
Babble Dabble Do Blog: One of our absolute favorite blogs for learning, art, and hands-on education. The Babble Dabble Do blog will inspire hours of creativity and awesomely-educational playtime in your home. A must-see blog for sure.
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.
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.
