The best way to teach kids tough subjects is to make learning fun. When kids are engaged in entertaining activities, they learn naturally. Discover how fort building can teach children STEM skills while they learn the benefits of working together.

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What is STEM?

STEM is an acronym used for the subjects science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These are growing fields that are sure to have plenty of potential in the future. Teaching kids STEM skills today can prepare them for a secure career tomorrow. Building forts is a hands-on way to encourage these important skills and help further their education.

Learning By Building a Fort

Fort building requires planning, such as consider the space where the fort will be built. The fort needs to be a certain size to fit in the chosen area. Kids can learn more about sizes, shapes, and measuring. Plus, they need to design a fort that actually works. Have them draw the fort they want to build then let them try to bring this vision to life.

Problem-Solving Fuels Invention

Science, math, technology, and engineering are all based on problem-solving. Let your kids figure out how to build the fort on their own with minimal assistance from you. While it can be tempting to manage the project, failures encourage kids to think harder and find solutions. Little ones might need more help than older kids. Either way, letting them find a way to fix the problem is sure to give them a feeling of victory and accomplishment.

Critical Thinking and Cooperation

Determining whether the fort should be a plane, castle, or house is the first step. Making it happen foster critical thinking skills in your kids. They need to create a definitive plan and think about how they can do it. When you step back from the process, the kids will learn to work together. There might be a few disagreements, but they will ultimately discover the benefits of cooperating. By sharing ideas, they will build a fort everyone can use.

Creativity

STEM skills also require children to think beyond the obvious. Building forts brings out the creative side of your child. Making the fort what they want it to be requires the use of color, texture, sizes, shapes, and imagination. When kids exercise their imaginations, they learn the joy of making new discoveries. This can fuel their desire to make new discoveries in science and math as they continue their education.