Disclaimer: We were sent the Crazy Forts to review as part of the Good Play Guide Ambassadors programme, however all words are our own opinion and there was no expectation for a blog review.
If you’re looking for a STEM activity for a kids’ birthday gift or Christmas present ideas, look no further than Crazy Forts.
We’ve had Crazy Forts for a few weeks now and it is played with every single day without fail – I try and put it away, but Lily keeps getting it out and building even more creations, she is so excited by this and I know there will be years of play in this set.
What is Crazy Forts?
Crazy Forts is a construction set that uses balls and sticks to create dens. Designed for kids from the age of 5, kids can use the instructions to build one of the creations from the instructions, or they can design their own fort using their own imagination.
A single Crazy Fort Kit contains 25 geometrically precise balls and 44 sticks that connect to create a multitude of possible play structures.
Is it easy to use?
Very! The balls and sticks are well designed to be easily slotted together and the instructions can be followed simply, either by a child on their own or with adult support if needed.
Once Lily had worked out to put the balls the correct way up, she was creating all kinds of amazing dens – from the castle in the instructions through to her very own reading den, camping pod and more.
Do you need anything else to create your den?
It is totally up to you – your kids can use the kit to create the creation they choose, and then if they want to make a real life den, you can simply use a bedsheet to cover the top of the construction.
Lily has had great fun then collecting soft toys, cushions, blankets and more to bring her creations to life – including pumpkins and decorations to turn it into her very own haunted house at Halloween!
The instructions also give you building options for if you used two kits!
What the Good Play Guide experts say about Crazy Forts
Crazy Forts allow children to bring a structure from their imagination to life as they work together to construct it.
The simple nature of this building set means the possibilities are endless and children enjoyed using their creativity to build a castle, spaceship and even an umbrella! They could then use this as part of the storytelling in their imaginative role-play.
As children plan out what they are going to make, they are developing important STEM skills including visual planning, logical thinking and creative problem solving to work out the floor plan and shape of their structure.
It is also a great way to get children playing collaboratively, which develops important social skills.
The children assigned each other jobs in the build and had to listen to each other’s opinions when things didn’t work out, which requires both communication and cooperation.
Conclusion
We have already had great fun with this kit, and it’s the first thing Lily goes to each evening when I collect her from afterschool club or on weekends when she is looking for something to play with at home.
She’s always loved activities where she can independently create her own creations using her imagination, so this has been perfect for her to be able to express her creativity, while building on her own STEM skills too.
The set is really easy to use and to put away too, so Lily can build everything herself without needing my help (always great when I’m working from home too or making her dinner) and then it is just as easy to put away into the box again too.
We really do recommend this set and can’t wait to share more of Lily’s designs with you in the future too.
You can find out more about Crazy Forts here
The 3am Diary 
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