Developmental psychologists tell us that children learn a lot as they play. A child might learn social skills while playing house, for instance, or spatial awareness while stacking blocks. Alternatively, ripping apart an old radio using a multi-tool may look like plain old fun, but budding engineers learn oodles from such exploratory destruction.
Building a fort is a beloved childhood activity that teaches children important survival skills. The following is a look at how fort building imparts survival knowledge, along with suggestions for materials to use for both indoor and outdoor forts.
How Building Forts Teaches Kids Survival Skills
School districts across the country recognize the educational power of fort building. For example, Washoe County School District in northern Nevada sends all of its sixth graders on two separate fort-building field trips. The kids learn about the dangers of hyperthermia, hypothermia, dehydration and more before setting off to a backcountry location.
In the winter, they practice building snow forts in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. They use a multi-tool to crack open cans of beans, which they cook over open fires. In spring, the sixth graders of Washoe County practice building shelters in desert locations.
Even without this type of formal educational instruction, kids tend to learn quite a bit about survival while building a fort, including:
Resourcefulness. Wilderness survival demands creativity, inventiveness and flexibility. Dandelions aren’t just weeds – they’re edible salad greens. Fallen evergreen branches make excellent lean-to roofs. And camping lanterns can emit location signals for search parties. As your kiddos look around for materials that could become the walls, ceiling, and floor of their fort, they will be training their brains to maximize whatever materials are available.
Cooperation. Emotional tension runs high in survival situations. The right mindset can help you and your fellow survivalists stay calm enough to make wise decisions. On the other hand, bickering and negativity will only waste your precious energy. Knowing how to work well with others is a key skill for surviving wilderness emergency situations.
Self-efficacy. Survival situations demand confidence, gumption and patience. To survive, you must believe you have what it takes to make it home alive. When your kids practice building forts, they get the lesson that their actions can have a big impact. They see that they are capable of building protective (and fun!) structures.
Methods and Materials for Building Forts Indoor forts. Indoor forts may be built with objects most of us have lying around the house. Couch cushions or cardboard boxes make great fort walls. A sheet makes a handy ceiling when draped across anchor furniture. An LED lantern can serve as a fort lighting fixture, and pillows transform into seating when thrown into an indoor fort.
Regardless of which of these materials your children use to build their fort, make sure they have plenty of clear, open space with no breakable or heavy objects that could fall down. Examine the interior of the fort, as well, perhaps using an LED lantern to see your way. Most kids enjoy demolishing their forts once they’re finished with them; removing potentially dangerous objects will help keep their destruction play safe.
Outdoor forts. Outdoor forts may also be constructed with common household objects. Large boxes, tarps, sticks, ropes, rocks and even old newspapers can be combined to create an outdoor fort. Alternatively, parents can dedicate a little time and money to helping their kids build a more permanent fort with pre-assembled fence sections. Heck, you could even give your kids camping lanterns to light their exterior fort in style.
Bells and Whistles for Your Fort
Once the fort is built, children will cherish their special space if you add a few fancy features. Here are a few ways to make any fort even more appealing:
Bring in the light. An LED lantern transforms a fort into the perfect sleepover locale.
Add snacks. Any decent fort has a mini-cooler stocked with refreshments.
Include camouflage. You can camouflage an outdoor fort with branches and grass clippings.
Once your kids have finished constructing their super fortress, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re supporting their learning.