Discover the Wonder of Princess Games and Fort Building
Posted November 21, 2017 by Fort Magic
If there’s one thing that doesn’t change about childhood over time, it’s the stories about princesses. For generations, kids have grown up reading about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and popular Disney films from Tangled to The Princess and the Frog have made these characters even more popular.
As a result, kids often want to emulate what they read about and see onscreen. If your child has always dreamed of being a fairytale princess, they’ll be happy to learn that this wish isn’t too difficult to make into a reality. All it takes is some imagination, a few craft supplies and a castle. With creativity and a Fort Magic fort building kit, it’s easy to build a castle fit for playing the finest princess games!
Making the fort
To make a princess fort, you can start out by putting together the castle fort design, which involves building the frame and attaching the different parts together using easy-to-follow instructions. Then, using special clips, attach a covering to the frame. This can be anything from a bedsheet to a special fabric cover that you pick out and make yourself — but no matter what you use, this is an opportunity to work with your kids and get creative! What colors do they want to use? Textures? Patterns? You can go to a fabric store and pick out anything from a simple cotton sheet to a fleece to a special faux fur, all of which can potentially be used to cover a fort frame.
Once you decide the covering, it’s time to turn to the overall look of the fort. Your kids can add in decorations like paper cutouts, stickers, pins and holiday lights however they’d like — this is a chance for them to exercise creative freedom and use their imaginations to be artistic! Then, after you’re done with the outside, decide how you’ll decorate the inside — usually, kids like to have pillows and blankets to give the inside of the fort a cozy feel. If you’re going to be doing crafts in the fort, it’s a good idea to set down a tarp on the fort floor for easy cleanup afterward.
Princess games and activities
So you have your princess fort — now what? There are numerous activities that your kids and their friends can engage in if they want to experience what it’s like to be a princess, all in or near the fort that they just built. Ideally, the fort will provide a perfect backdrop and serve as an inspiration for many princess-themed activities.
One idea drawn from Rapunzel is hair-braiding — you can look up different hairstyles and braiding techniques, or have your kids watch videos on YouTube instructing them on how to braid their hair in different ways. You can be their hairstylist, or have them work on each other! The most important thing is to have fun, and to help your kids feel just like Rapunzel “letting down her hair.” Provide supplies like hair ties, bobby pins and hair clips to help your kids along with their endeavor.
Another princess-themed activity is making princess hats out of paper, which mimics the pointed cone style seen in Sleeping Beauty. You can also make a princess wand, a crown, a tiara or a bracelet using simple craft supplies like pipe cleaners, construction paper, rhinestones and paper plates. All of these crafts can be done inside the fort, and it’s helpful to stock the necessary supplies in there for easy access!
To get active, engage your kids in a magic carpet race inspired by Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, which involves sliding around the floor on “magic carpets” (otherwise known as princess towels) while moving through an obstacle course that you help to set up. The first person to make it to the end without messing up the obstacle course wins! Keep in mind that you need a lot of room for this activity, so make sure to clear the floor first before setting up your obstacle course (you can use items like tiaras, tutus or shoes as easy obstacles).
Putting together a party
With a princess fort ready and some great activities lined up, there are only a few things left to do to throw your kids a great princess-themed party! Consider the attire — should all the kids dress up as different princesses?
You can also make snacks with a princess connection, like cupcakes with Ariel on them or sandwiches cut into the shapes of crowns. Just remember: you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a few decorations go a long way! Your kids will appreciate the thought behind the party more than anything.
How do you use fort building to help your child feel like a princess for the day and bring fairytale musings to life? Share your ideas with us below!
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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.
