Open-Ended Children's Fort Kit Play Ideas
Posted December 18, 2020 by Fort Magic
As the holiday season approaches, there are so many great toys out there that provide hours of fun and entertainment for your child. However, many of them end up doing the playing or even imagining for them. And, while these can be great, it’s important to provide toys that can develop your child’s own imagination and creativity.
These aspects of a child are some of the most amazing parts of them. So, why not give them the gift of open-ended play, especially with a Fort Magic building kit? This tool not only provides them with fun, but it also helps to prioritize creativity as well.
What is Open-Ended Play?
So, what exactly is open-ended play? Open-ended play is a concept that not only grows your child’s imagination, it can promote emotional and social intelligence. It also enhances learning and growth intellectually while giving your child an outlet to creatively express him or herself.
With open-ended play, children have the freedom to make their own decisions as there are no rules or guidelines to follow. The opportunities to create or imagine are endless during play time. Toys that promote this type of activity include things like paper supplies, building blocks, clay, and sand, which are all non-descript items.
What Are the Benefits?
While open-ended play can be a great way to keep your kids busy, it also provides excellent benefits for early childhood development. It establishes certain intellectual abilities that will lay a foundation for future success in school and the workplace. It does this by, first, allowing children to test out new ideas and practice learning new concepts. Next, it gives practice in decision-making, as well as skills that are crucial for leadership.
Open-ended play is able to do this by letting kids use their imagination to create. There is no wrong way to participate in this activity, freeing kids of the responsibility of knowing if they are doing something wrong or right. As they experiment and learn new concepts, their practice of these things leads to greater confidence in themselves and their abilities.
How a Fort Can Help
There are many basic toys that can encourage open-ended play, with one of the best being a Fort Magic building kit. This kit allows your kids to imagine and build anything they desire. Not only is it easy to assemble (as well as disassemble and store), but it is perfect for young children and those as old as 12!
The fabric clips allow for an even greater experience and another level of creativity. These can be used to hang things like butcher paper, sheets, towels, or other materials to form walls or a roof, or can be a way to hang artwork and other designs. When a new idea emerges, simply tear down the current fort and start with a brand new structure.
Ideas to Get You Started with Open-Ended Fort Building
If you are still feeling a little intimidated by the whole idea of open-ended play, below are just a few ideas to get your kids started. By simply providing the right tools, it will be amazing to see all that your children can come up with on their own!
1. Challenge Your Kids to Build a Restaurant
Simply throw this idea out there and see what your children are able to come up with. This means that they can build their “restaurant” to be any shape or design they want, it can have any name they choose, and serve any type of food. This provides them with a plethora of decisions they can make all on their own.
For an extra dose of creativity, have them make a sign for the name of their restaurant to hang outside of their fort. They can even find unique ways to decorate the interior and create their own menus and prices.
2. Have Them Make the Tallest Fort They Can
Throwing this challenge out there for your kids will get them started on what could be a long journey. Not only will they have to think through where to put it, they will be forced to consider what the best shape is to support a tall structure. It can be torn down and rebuilt over and over until your kids get one that is just right.
3. Try a Castle or Rocketship
Did you know that a large part of training for new jobs is role-playing? Not only will this activity encourage creativity and imagination, but it will also encourage role-playing. They can be a king or queen, or even an astronaut. While it may not seem like it, role-playing is vital in childhood and can even help prepare your kids for their future.
4. Free Time
The whole point of the open-ended play is to let your children have the freedom to create whatever fort they want. So, let them loose to build any fort they desire. Be available to help, but leave out any instruction or guidance. As always, encourage their efforts and be sure to spend some time praising their hard work!
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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.
