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What really grabbed my eye this week was not so much a geeky gadget but a really cool toy I wish I had when I was a kid. See, I loved building forts, little playhouses, and tents for imaginary play, and I loved my Tinker Toys. Crazy Forts is both of those in one! A Crazy Forts kit looks like nothing more than Tinker Toys big enough to live inside, but what else does a kid need?
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A Crazy Fort set comes with 44 sticks and 25 balls used to connect them in at various angles. Build your fort, castle, tunnel, pyramid, or whatever you can think of, then throw a bed sheet over it to finish your building. The product site has plans you can download for different designs, but it won’t be long before your kids come up with something completely different.
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Isn’t this better than seeing the kids move furniture around all over the house? Even better, there are no batteries, cartridges, or refills involved. No movie or breakfast cereal tie-ins. All you need is an imagination! Crazy Forts could be a classic, like Tinker Toys and homemade playhouses. It just makes sense.
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Then I think about all the times I’ve looked around the house for something I could use to hold up something else, a prop of a certain size, or something with a particular angle, for all kinds of crazy reasons. Even though I’m no kid, I kinda want one (or two) of these for myself! Available from Mastermind Toys and chapters.indigo.ca for $34.99.
We had something similar to this at the day care I worked at last year. I had a ton of fun helping my little ones put stuff together. Our favorite was making a rocket. :-)
posted by nutmeag on 7-14-2008 at 7:55 am
If they sold fabric squares (and maybe triangles too) one stick-length on a side that you could snap onto the sticks to give them walls, I’d buy a set or two for myself.
posted by Danno on 7-14-2008 at 11:52 am
When I was little we had something called Pipe Works, that were similar. They were pvc pipes about 2 feet long that attached via little angled pipes. They had the added benefit that your constructions would be strong enough for a few kids to climb on.
posted by Mary on 7-14-2008 at 4:38 pm
My kids absolutely love Crazy Forts. I purchased one and was pleasantly surprised at the quality and durability for such a reasonable cost. I am amazed each time they start building something new how it sparks their creativity. They challenge themselves to build something different each time. I am hoping to be able to purchase a 2nd one to see what happens when they double their building options.
posted by Jean on 7-15-2008 at 10:18 pm