Fact: Kids love building forts.

But, when their not-so-sturdy forts collapse because the blanket is too small, or the couch cushion isn’t steady, it can be frustrating. You might find yourself holding the edge of a blanket for a few hours to keep things stable.

Luckily, the creators of Make-A-Fort make fort building more reliable, fun, sustainable, and dynamic. All the pieces you need are contained in a carrying case (perfect for clean up and storage too!). The pieces are made from upgraded cardboard, so it’s stronger than typical cardboard. Each kit includes 20 panels, 18 braces, and 86 connectors. Combine multiple kits for extensive forts and mazes!

Why We Love It

Kids are the architects and Make-A-Fort is STEAM construction at its best. Children work together to plan, design, and revise their forts. They learn how the braces and connectors work to create a more stable structure. They learn how connecting pieces changes the shape and angle of the panels and create their ultimate dream-fort.

Older kids can follow directions (included in kit) to create a fort. Or they can modify a design, and even create their own. As our fort began to take shape, imaginations starting running alongside creativity. Our architects built separate rooms for a particular purpose such as “the reading room,” and obviously “the snack room.”

The fort is the setting of pretend play! It becomes a castle, a cave, a ship, a treehouse. Pretend play helps your child understand and use language in a powerful way. They create stories, dialogue, and experiment with social and emotional roles when they play. Make-A-Fort is great for cooperative play as children use their imaginations together to create more stories, solve problems, and negotiate roles.

Make-A-Fort appeals to the artists as well. Kids loved coloring the walls and ceilings (yes, upside down coloring!), which allows them to use different muscles than coloring on a table. Kids loved decorating their own “rooms” and adding their own unique flair to their fort walls and ceilings.

This product is perfect for the fort creators, artists, and kids (and grown-ups!) of all ages. Building and designing allows for planning and revision, which is a great cognitive skill. It ignites imagination, play and language skills. The sturdy upgraded cardboard lets kids build and rebuild again and again.

Buy it at Make-A-Fort and Amazon