Enchanted Sleepover Fort Building Ideas For Kids
Posted June 28, 2019 by Fort Magic
A tried and true part of childhood is building forts and every kid loves a sleepover. That’s why we can’t think of anything more fun than hosting a sleepover in your fort! Here at Fort Magic, we love to see children play and learn at the same time. Building a fort for your next sleepover is a great way to do that. It fosters an environment where your children and their friends can have open play that leads to greater creativity.
1. Come Up with Your Fort Design
The first place to start is deciding which fort design will work best for your sleepover. Make a list of the guests your child wants to invite so you know how much room you’ll need. Keep in mind that your child should be the one doing the work and brainstorming.
This is so that your child learns the process of problem-solving and feeling like they have accomplished something. If you do the work, they won’t reap the benefits of maker play or learn STEAM skills. Here are some great open-ended questions you can use to guide them in their selection process.
What do you envision for your sleepover? What do your friends like to do? You can ask them to draw out their fort design sort of like blueprints. Just ask questions to get your child thinking and imagining the possibilities.
These questions are designed to get them in the creative mode so make sure your questions are open-ended.
2. Send Out Invites for Your Sleepover
Use the list your child created in step 1 and have your child create invites. You can provide the paper, glue, markers, crayons, and any other supplies. Then, step back and let them create the invite. You can help them address the envelopes if they need to be mailed or coordinate how they can hand out the invites in person.
3. Get Your Fort Ready for the Sleepover
Again, make sure your learner is doing the work on their own. Fort building is all about letting them learn on their own with minimal guidance from you. Here are some steps you can follow to prepare the fort:
Step 1. Layout a Fort Magic building kit and fabric such as old sheets to cover the fort with
Step 2. Have your learner build the fort they decided on earlier
Step 3. Attach fabric using the fabric clips and string lights if they want a little light in their fort
Step 4. Gather supplies such as blankets, pillows, books, stuffed animals, etc.
Step 5. Make sure the fort is ready to movie watching if you’re going to be watching a movie
4. What Snacks Will You Need?
Every good sleepover has tasty snacks. If your child discussed with you what kinds of snacks their friends like then have them help you make snacks for everyone. Some of our favorite sleepover snacks include popcorn, cut up fruit, mini-sandwiches, baby carrots, pizza rolls, trail mix, fruit and yogurt parfaits, and celery with peanut butter.
If you’re going to be watching a movie at your sleepover, it’s also fun to match your snacks to the theme of the movie. If you’ll be watching “Frozen”, for example, then you can serve things such as blue popcorn and coconut cookie “snowballs”.
5. Will You Watch A Movie At Your Sleepover?
One of our favorite traditions here at Fort Magic is watching a movie in our fort. You can also decorate your fort to go along with the theme of the movie. You can even have themed activities at your sleepover to go along with the theme of the movie! If you’ll be watching “Frozen” then some of our favorite themed sleepover activities to do in your fort include:
Make “Frozen” play dough with blue glitter and peppermint oil.
Have a scavenger hunt.
Make snowflakes.
Make Elsa or Anna lip gloss.
Use blue and white beads or colored pasta to make necklaces and bracelets.
You can also ask your child if they have any ideas! By now, they should be in the creative mode and might have some great ideas of their own.
6. Plan Ahead
After your child has planned out their sleepover, sit down with them and make a list of all the supplies they’ll need, including ones that need to be purchased. Make sure you have the movie ready to go. Also, if you’ll be having snacks at your sleepover, have your child make a list of all the food items you’ll need to purchase at the store.
It also helps to have them gather everything at the store they’ll need and put it in the shopping cart. If you want to help them learn, even more, you can have them create a budget for their sleepover and encourage them to keep track of everything they’re buying at the store. Plan ahead to make sure you have time to make the snacks!
Photo Credits:
Play At Home Mom Blog: This super-amazing blog is definitely one of our favorites. Loaded with fun ideas for DIY playtime, with an always-present educational spin.
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.
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.
