Let’s make a fort!

Materials Required

1. Dining chairs
2. Blankets
3. Towels
4. Pegs
5. Rope
6. Large cardboard box (optional)

Preparation

Collect a good supply of blankets, doonas, towels, pegs and maybe some rope – Dining chairs or the lounge or dining table – Large cardboard boxes are great if you have them

Method (or Ideas)

1. Discuss with your child what type of fort they would like to build
2. Determine a plan together – what will it look like?
3. Encourage your child to problem solve by asking questions and posing ideas.
4. Build your fort together using trial and error until it is stable and safe to play in.
5. Use pegs and rope to secure blankets if needed.
6. Remember tables make ideal forts.
7. Adding chairs makes a fun entry tunnel.

Facilitation Tips – What To Say

• How are we going to build this?
• What do you think we will need to use?
• What is it going to look like?
• Do you want a tunnel?
• Is this safe? How can we make it safe?

Extend the Experience

• Add torches if it’s dark inside the fort.
• Add pillows and books inside for some quiet play.
• If you’re using boxes your child can decorate these using textas, pencils or paint.

WHO Guidelines for Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour

This building experience engages children in physical activity as they bend, twist, lift and reach to construct the fort.

Early Years Learning Framework

Outcomes

1. Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency
2. Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity

Principle

Principle 2: Partnerships. Partnerships are based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes, and build on the strength of each others’ knowledge.

Practice

Practice: Learning through play. Play can expand children’s thinking and enhance their desire to know and to learn. In these ways play can promote positive dispositions towards learning. Children’s immersion in their play illustrates how play enables them to simply enjoy being.