Love and kindness. From the moment we hold our children in our arms we pour as much love as we can into them. As they grow, we teach them to love and be kind to others. It is a parent’s hope that these lessons would permanently sink into the hearts and souls of our children,…

It has been said that our basic interpersonal skills are learned in kindergarten. But, what if fort building teaches kids these lessons before they walk through the school doors in their coordinated first-day outfit? Good manners, including listening and respecting others, prove to be lessons we use and perfect throughout life. And, catching them early…

Stand back, away from the scene in your living room or backyard, and watch as kids build forts. What do you see? A castle? Rocket? An artist’s studio, secret hideaway or a starry observatory? Look closer. What else do you see? Laughter? Busy hands? Imaginative play? Relationship building? Mental wheels turning? Quiet solitude? The experience…

Often we think of imagination and creativity as it ties to art, music, and dance. But, the truth reveals that there is more to the imagination than this definition entails. In fact, imagination and creativity benefit everyone. Without the power of imagination, our problem-solving skills and innovative thinking suffer. And, this fact holds true whether we…

No pink or blue here. Ever notice the lack of concern young boys and girls have with the gender of a friend? The friendship tends to start with the seed of shared interest, sprouts with the care of time, and blooms as the two comrades engage in adventure and play together. Typically, any thought to…

Fort building kits are the perfect toy for developing a love of exploration and learning early in life.  The love of learning cultivated at a young age prepares us for a lifetime of growth, development, and success. Surprisingly for many, this love stems from fun. Dr. William Glasser, a psychiatrist, claims that “fun is the genetic…

Girls have been asserting their power with fort building since the posting of the first scribbled “No Boys Allowed” sign. This marking of their territory as all things girl with (no boy nonsense permitted) gave girls the opportunity to build of their own accord, run freely and dream boldly. In essence, girls were able to…

Building forts builds intellect?  Absolutely!  The value of play-based learning for the healthy intellectual development of young children has become a hard-founded axiom of early education. And fort building certainly constitutes play-based learning at its best. Looking at academic and intellectual skill development, researchers agree that physical play toys provide kids with unique opportunities to…

Forts continue to draw all generations. It seems that the fun of this favorite childhood activity is well proclaimed. But, the secret of the attraction remains buried beneath the fun and movement involved. Fort building proves to be the rare arena in which the question, “Why?” never arises. Want in on the secret? Shhh! If…

Our country has a need for people to choose careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). These career areas are among the fastest growing jobs in the workforce. One of the greatest potentials we have to fill these STEM fields is the girls in our world! As their parents and their educators, it is…