Learning Made Fun With Fort Magic
Posted August 19, 2020 by Fort Magic
As parents, we take pleasure in our children having fun, but we don’t always take into account what or how they are learning while doing so. Fortunately, one of the best ways to incorporate learning while enjoying an activity and being creative is through one of Fort Magic’s building kits. This fort-building kit will not only provide hours of endless entertainment but will provide an opportunity to develop STEAM skills that are so relevant to learning in school and in countless jobs today.
Why is STEAM So Important?
While STEAM is gaining in popularity, many parents don’t fully grasp what it is and how it can benefit their child. STEAM is an integrated approach to learning that prompts students to think more broadly, specifically as it relates to real-world problems. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics and there are several individual skills that are necessary to do each of these effectively.
In 2018 alone, there were roughly three million job openings in STEAM-related fields and that number continues to grow every year. Individuals with this background are in demand in almost every career field. Having greater knowledge of these allows parents to gear playtime around the building and fostering these skills which will make their children more successful in school and in the workplace.
Learning with Fort Magic
As mentioned, a Fort Magic building kit can provide endless fun as well as a creative outlet to let the imagination run wild. It’s also an excellent way to develop STEAM skills because it encourages designing and building with the hands.
Simply set your child up with a kit, along with any other materials they request like fabric clips and sheets and towels to hang walls or a roof. Then let them get to work. Be there for support and encouragement if they hit any problems along the way, but allow them to work through them and come up with solutions on their own. Let them ask questions and, of course, offer praise for a job well done when they complete their vision.
The Educational Benefits of Learning with Fort Building
A STEAM activity like fort-building has several educational benefits. Below are just a few you can expect your child to take away during playtime:
1. Problem-Solving
Though your children may have a vision of what they want their fort to look like, it’s inevitable they will hit a problem or two along the way. This encourages them to not only understand the problem but to work to come up with solutions. For example, if their structure is not standing correctly, what can be adjusted to make it do so?
2. Creativity
While the fort will foster creativity and imagination in coming up with a design or type of structure, it can also encourage creativity in solving problems. Again, depending on what issues arise, your child may have to think outside of the box to get the structure just right.
3. Inquiry Skills
During the process of building, it will be natural for your child to ask questions, test their ideas, and discover solutions along the way. It will require active participation and it will be part of developing their inquiry skills. Be sure to be on hand to answer questions, but to also encourage that they test their theories and discover things on their own.
4. Math and Science
It may seem obvious to say that your children will be dealing with math and science while building, but they truly are the foundation of STEAM and should not be overlooked. Through creating the structure, your child will encounter shapes, angles, and scientific problems that will need to be solved. Through this, connections will be made, specifically through ideas.
5. Engineering
Though on a simpler scale, building forts also calls for engineering and design thinking. Again, this will be learned through identifying a problem or simply a structure to build, brainstorming the best way to do so, testing the idea, and then repeating the process if necessary. At each step, there is learning until a solution, or structure is complete.
6. Critical Thinking
With any new project comes challenges and building a fort is no different. This activity will cause your child to analyze information, evaluate their design, create new ideas, and even propose solutions to issues that arise. All of these contribute to creating a critical thinker.
7. Collaboration
This activity also allows an opportunity for friends, siblings, or parents to get involved and collaborate. By doing so, a broader selection of ideas is generated while everyone learns to work together and become productive as a team.
Learning at Any Age
While these skills may seem advanced, laying the foundation through fort building can take place at any age. Though it may look different for a younger child, it’s still important to provide activities that make learning both fun and naturally educational.
Along with these, working with the hands allows the ability to develop fine-motor skills and hand-eye coordination which are especially important in younger children. Through creating and executing comes confidence and satisfaction and ultimately a greater understanding of how to tackle and succeed at future projects.
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.
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.
