A Kids' Guide to Building Forts [Paperback]

Tom Birdseye (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

An entertaining guide for building safe and fun forts—outside, inside, at the beach, and in snow country. Ages 8-14

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The easy-to-read book presents a brief history of forts, instructions for building indoor and outdoor forts and hints on where to obtain materials." (Sunday Times Record News )

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Roberts Rinehart (April 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943173698
• ISBN-13: 978-0943173696
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #470,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book your kids will go back to time and time again., January 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Kids' Guide to Building Forts (Paperback)

As a mother of three and a a daycare provider I highly recommend this "get up and build" book. The ideas for fort building will spark your childs imagination and they'll go back time and again to look for ideas for indoor and outdoor forts. This book can save a mom on a snow day- as long as you don't mind what will be created!

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my 7 year old loved it, December 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Kids' Guide to Building Forts (Paperback)

We got a copy of this book from the library. When it was time to return it my son begged for his own copy. Great book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Resourceful imganination encouragement!, January 21, 2012

By 

Unusually Unusual farmchick "Tammie E." (Northeast Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Kids' Guide to Building Forts (Paperback)

My review may seem a bit rambling & repetitive but its an early morning for me while the kids are still sleeping. Just take in consideration, I encourage you to GET THIS BOOK! SPEND TIME with your kid{s} utilizing it before they become older and you missed out on all the fun you could of had with them. making those memories that last a lifetime of smiles. Now grab your coffee/tea for why I personally find this book to be of a dying breed. Much love to the Author & publishers for sharing the Kids guide to building forts <3 .

Despite what a reviewer has wrote about "safety" no where in this book does it say to hand it over to the kid and leave them to do it ALONE. This book is perfect for the adult to SHADOW but in no way means for them to let the kid hit the local junkyard after receiving their Tet shot....

Yes, it's true if you live in the city or some close together suburban neighborhood, the kids may have a hard time finding the common resources for building these things BUT there is NO reason why as a PARENT/ADULT you can not get involved in the hunt. Instead of finding a way to entertain your kid without you "having" to be involved, man/woman up and play with your kids!! This book is full of great inspiration & motivation for kids & their parents to spend time together. If the kid has never experienced this way of play then surely you know not to hand them the wheel without some supervision. If you do not have tree branches, pruning's around in your yard then ask around the neighborhood when you see trees being cut.Ask Grandma/pa or other relatives & friends. Ask a local tree cutting service if you can have branches from trees they are cutting nearby {instead of these things being put through their chipper machine}.
The writer encourages resourcefulness, imagination, problem solving & common sense. Kids learn through playing and this book will do just that. From figuring out on their own what can be used {this is where you the parent/adult can take the time to look the book over with them & discuss what they would like to build from the authors pages} all the way to how the items they found will fit/work out with what they envision. There are no measurements, per say, it's all about collecting the items needed and putting it all together which is powered within their minds by problem solving. Great pictures and illustrations for guidance but this is not a blueprint style of book. This style of learning is one of the most lacked & must have skills our children NEED to learn. Many thanks needs to go to the author for putting this book out there for encouraging kids to use skills much needed in their adult lives. Resourceful problem solving. The adult can shadow, being their mind of reason with suggestions and encouragement but do not become so deeply involved the kids are not the main players. Build your own fort! :)
Although I did not buy this book {yet! & surely will as a permanent piece of the kids home library}, I picked a copy up at the public library for some winter dreaming by the fire with my kids. My son & I looked it over, searching for which one he would like to build in the Spring with his sisters. We discussed where they might find such items for the fort designs he liked. He was won over by the stick/tree branch debri square fort, using a wattle weave for the walls. Kids learn that weave in school with paper projects so he knew by relating to the school project, how to wattle the walls. In this day & age where kids are rarely with the power of resourceful imagination due to the whole "sanitary & safety" hype, I was frustrated by lack of variety in books that do encourage & SPARK a kid to use their brains for resourceful problem solving with outdoor fun. This book provides that spark PLUS is a great way to get adults OUT OF THE HOUSE and playing with their kids. As a kid my brothers & I were left to roam the woods and neighborhood without supervision {it was the 80's!}, unlike children now who are locked behind fences & indoors with factory made electronic devices sapping up their childhood. Get over what the neighbors will think about you collecting & having tree branches laying around in the yard or collecting them.
The bonus to their fort building is now what to put inside of it! A table made from a log? Planting some Mint or penny-royal around the edges to help keep bugs at bay? How about coming up with a club sign or sewing up a Fort flag?! This book can be the beginning to many great fun filled days. A domino effect, bubbling up the sparkle of imagination and happy times.