Inspiring Happiness And Creativity With Indoor Fort Building

Posted October 22, 2016 by Fort Magic

Count 24 brilliant crayons in the box. Pack nutritious apple slices and carrot sticks. Pull on a favorite outfit. Yes, this is the stuff going to school is made of. With school days comes homework. After a full day of learning, settling kids into more work proves to be an impossible task. How about a little debriefing time with fort building? Research and experience prove the positive impact that active play has learning and concentration. In fact, this free time brings kids back to their work more enthusiastically and with increased creativity, according to experts. Don’t you think this will improve everyone’s happiness? While outdoor activity is ideal, the weather that accompanies the fall does not always cooperate. Indoor forts offer a mental and physical break from the routine of education. And, the learning continues (unbeknownst to the builders)! Let’s give it a try. A fort building break after school or mid-day for homeschoolers can be what your child needs. Grab the Fort Magic kit and start inspiring happiness and creativity with indoor fort building!

The best breaks from the idle position of schoolwork involve others. Think of the giggles and running feet present at recess. Sharing laughter and physical activity with comrades increase our feel-good hormones. Fort building offers plenty of opportunity for this type of interaction. Invite siblings to break from solo work to gather together, building a fort. Neighborhood friends bring more brains to the party. As parents, organizing a 30- to 60-minute playtime after the bus drops kids at the driveway can benefit everyone.

Now, of course, those recess images drum up whining and less-than-kind interactions as well. But, these situations are not to be avoided. Learning to interact socially, in both positive and negative situations, is vital for healthy development and relationships in the future. Even these problems require creativity in their resolutions. And, the working out of interpersonal issues boosts kids’ confidence and happiness. We must guard against removing these opportunities.

Indoor forts may not afford the physical freedom that playing outside does, but some days you must make the most of what life affords. Small bodies still find plenty of inside space to stretch muscles and minds as required. Need proof? Ever wonder how your couch transforms into a piece of gymnastic equipment? To channel that energy release (and perhaps rescue your couch), bring out the Fort Magic kit. Encourage your kids and whoever else is with them to create a way to get to the once-a-planet Pluto. Or, ask them to imagine and design a fort that helps people. Perhaps they could dream up a fort for superheroes, angels, or one for children living in another country.

Maybe no input is required. If your kids take off, minds running, watch and be amazed at what develops. Consider granting access to an entire room, two rooms or a full basement to build their imaginings. While this may not prove practical on a daily basis, once in a while this freedom sends kids’ happy-o-meters and creativity into overdrive. If the day lends to quieter energy release, speak to your kids’ artistic sides. After lessons filled with numbers and letters, the abstract world of art proves soothing and a successful reboot. Tapping a different side of creativity, forts turned into art studios prepare children’s minds for future (just after the 60 minutes tick away) educational pursuits. A fort covered in butcher paper becomes a giant artist’s canvas. Coloring books or simple craft projects on a small table inside the fort transform it into an art studio. Clay works to offer molding and shaping talents. Look to your child’s artistic bent, and let him or her create around it.

In the sped-up tick of the clock, the tyranny of the urgent often overrides the important. And, while we rush ahead to accomplish the tasks required for the next day of school, the truth is that a bit of a break moves our kids ahead quicker. Capturing these opportunities and embracing them releases us all from the stress.Build this concept into your routine. Develop a “fort day” one day per week where kids look forward to the outside of school activity being fort building. The anticipation and planning alone bring relief to minds and smiles to faces.

For nights when homework threatens tears or homeschool lessons make kids feel anxious, take a fort break. Give it a try during a frustrating homework session or school lesson. Yell out “FORT BREAK!” Set a timer. Everyone runs to play, returning to the sound of the timer. These breaks could be in a week where the fort stays up. Or, maybe you secretly set one up in another part of the house. Either way, the idea is to offer short bursts of fun to encourage minds to explore greater things.

How would these ideas revolutionize your relationship with your kids around homework or lessons? What gains would you see in happiness and creativity? Research indicates play is the core of a child learning better. Will this be your experience? Let us know 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.

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.