Fort Building Challenge

Activity Overview

Fort building is a classic childhood activity, and it’s not just for rainy days! Having the ability to change one’s environment into something new and different is very powerful, and after forts have been constructed, children are able to use the space in novel and imaginative ways. This activity opens the child up to large-scale building and what it means to build a structure where someone or something can be safe inside. It provides an opportunity to build forts big or small, for people or fairies, inside or outside! We encourage you to do the project in both settings if possible, as it creates a connection for the children between inside play and the outdoors.

What You Need

• Furniture, blankets, pillows, heavy books or anything you have in your home that is useful for fort building

• Gathered big or small sticks, leaves, branches, grasses, brush, or whatever you have outside to work with

• Optional: clamps

Steps

1. Do you want to build inside or outside? Talk with your student about the materials available to you, and which space they would prefer to start with.

2. Gather materials and bring them to the place in which you plan to build. This could be gathering pillows and blankets for the living room or gathering sticks and stones outside for a fairy house or human shelter.

3. Begin to build! Use the guided questions in order to help your student open up their line of questioning

Guiding Questions

• What kind of fort do you want to build?

• What materials do we need?

• Who is going to be living in the fort?

• What size will your fort be?

Extensions

• Can you make different rooms in your fort?

• Can you construct furniture for your fort?

• Should we put together a snack for the fort?

• Does the fort need a book corner?

• Is it possible to sleep overnight in the fort?