Take STEM Home Learning To The Next Level With Forts
Posted February 26, 2021 by Fort Magic
STEM has become a popular word that you may hear other parents and educators throw around often about how children learn. The acronym stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM learning is an approach to learning and development that integrates these areas together. Fort Magic is here to help you and your child take STEM home learning to the next level!
Key Skills from STEM Home Learning
There are several key skills that kids can learn through STEM play. These important skills include problem-solving, creativity, statistics, teamwork, independent thinking, initiative, communication, and digital literacy. When building a fort, all of these skills are used in one way or another. Your child can build by themselves, with a group of friends, or even build a fort with you and utilize these skills.
When your child designs a fort in their head or even on paper, they have to use their thinking skills. Then, once they have all the pieces laid out they think they need, they will use problem-solving skills to fit all the pieces together. If your kids are working with others, they will have to use teamwork as well as communication to get the fort built. Creativity comes into it in the design stage, as well as when the fort is built and they are covering it and giving it the final touches.
What Age is Good for STEM Learning?
Now you might be asking, “What age is good for a child to start learning and using STEM skills?” While children as young as 3 months are starting to learn new things, STEM-based learning at home should start as early as two years of age. In the early years, a child’s brain is like a sponge, and they will soak up everything you are showing them. They will want to learn and know everything.
Introducing learning at an early age is the proper way to wire a child’s brain for better problem-solving skills and better attitudes towards learning new subjects. Look at it as if you are building something. You would not start building on the 4th or 5th floor. You want a solid foundation, and the same can be said for your children’s learning. Teach them young and they will have a solid foundation.
Fort Building and STEM Learning
Fort building can teach your young kids, as well as your older kids, important skills they can take into adulthood. They are not only learning STEM skills at home and school, but they are also boosting their knowledge and confidence in these skill areas.
Should your child choose a career path that is based around architecture, engineering, mathematics, or another path, you should know that their STEM skills will be needed. What better way to prepare for that than start them learning young! Letting them use their curiosity and creativity to design a fort they want is a great way to start.
Forts offer a way for your child to learn as well as have fun. It’s so much fun, they won’t even realize it is a teachable moment for them. So, gather your supplies and start building.
1. Supplies Needed
When your kids are starting to build a fort, there are some supplies they will need. The first thing is a Fort Magic Building Kit. This will have all the pieces they need to build the fort.
Then, they will need to cover the fort. This can include blankets, sheets, towels, scarves, or anything that can be clipped on to form walls and tops on their fort. Accessories can include pillows to make it soft, stuffed toys to bring comfort, books to read in peace.
If your child is building a castle or a make-believe fort, they may want to dress the part. This can include dress-up clothes, play heels, play makeup, maybe even a play vanity and dolls for their kingdom.
If they have friends over, it might be a great idea to set up a small table with some drinks and snacks. Creativity can make you hungry, and a snack in their very own fort can make a kid extra happy.
2. Getting Started
Once your child has gathered all the supplies they need, it is time to get started. First, they will need a design. If you are using a Fort Magic kit, it includes a building manual with 21 fort designs making building easy. You can have the design in your head or you can use one out of the book. If you are really looking to push their creativity, have them design as they build and see what they come up with.
To build using the kit, you simply push and twist to insert the sticks into the connector opening. You continue doing this until you have the shape of the fort that you desire. To attach a cover, you can use the fabric clips that are included. These are simple as they press and snap on to attach the fabric to the stick. You can also use clothespins if you run out of fabric clips.
You are then ready to throw toys, pillow, books, and friends in the fort and have an afternoon of playtime. When playtime is over, a Fort Magic Kit is easy to clean up. Simply, take your fabric clips off, fold your covers back up. To disassemble the fort, you have to twist and pull the sticks away from the connectors and put them in the bag so you can enjoy more fort play tomorrow.
Fort Examples
A Fort Magic Kit can build so many designs, almost anything that your child can create. Some examples include a rocket, spaceships, tunnels, carriage, teepee, ship, submarine, truck, playhouse, and so much more. Remember, with fort play, nothing is too creative and anything is possible in the land of make-believe. Your child can be an astronaut one day, a pirate the next, then a princess or a knight next week. The possibilities are endless so they will never get tired of their fort kit.
Why Fort Magic
Fort Magic Building Kits are award-winning educational toys that kids, parents, and educators love. Each kit comes with 354 pieces that are patented. Your kit will include straight and curved sticks and a variety of building connectors. You can build so much with just one kit. You will also get a 28-page building manual with designs as well as 100 snap-on fabric clips.
Fort Magic Kits can teach your child and allow for unlimited creativity and imagination while helping them learn important STEM skills they will need throughout their life. They will be having fun while learning, and that is a win however you look at it.
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Photo Credits:
TinkerLab Blog: One of our favorite engineering blogs for children is TinkerLab. Have you ever visited the site? If not, you’ll definitely want to browse sometime soon. You will find loads of fun and inventive ideas for encouraging all things hands-on and engineering for kids. TinkerLab has fantastic Tinker Lab YouTube videos too!
Rave & Review Blog: The fun Rave & Review blog is where you’ll find loads of sharing on your favorite products for parents and grandparents all the way to newborns.
Twodaloo Blog: At the awesome Twodaloo blog you will find activities and information about early childhood development that you can use at home, in the classroom, or in the therapy setting.
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.
