Rather than post this as a regular review I wanted to turn this into a regular blog post. I feel that this isn’t a product that deserves a simple review but something a bit more in-depth, and with that comes a bit of a personal touch, at least in this case, because it does involve my kids.
Fort Boards reached out to me and asked if we would be interested in checking out their product. The email came on a day, when literally, I was exasperated with my daughter for building an elaborate fort for our toddler and subsequently getting upset when he inadvertently destroyed it by being a toddler. A possible solution for building forts that would have some sort of staying power? Yes, of course I was interested.
When the box came I don’t know why but I wasn’t sure what to expect. We received one box of the basic fort boards in red. Each box contains 44 square boards and 46 connectors. Let me talk about those connectors for a moment. Because the individual boards themselves connect to each other, these connectors are more like bracers and stabilizers enabling the boards to come together and stay as walls or at an angle. Each side of each board has a place for each connector to be set at different levels and connect at different angles. This enables the fort boards to be assembled into different shapes.
My kids tore into the box, and the immediate problem arose of too many cooks in the kitchen (metaphorically speaking). Despite there being 44 individual boards, they all need to connect to each other in order to create a usable structure. Well, not all of the boards, depending on what structure you are going to make. That’s one of the things about Fort Boards, using any number of boards a variety of shapes and structures can be made, such as a small square for one or a large fort front enabling several to hide behind.
Is Fort Blocks easy to use? Well, yes, but this is relative. My 5 year old had difficulty with the fine motor skills necessary to assemble multiple pieces together, let alone construct something that had any semblance of a shape to it. While the box says “Ages 5+” please note (and your mileage may vary) the younger kids will need quite a bit of guidance and assistance. My 8 year old had plenty of fun with assembling different structures, though for some of the more elaborate ones he needed some assistance. My 10 and 12 year olds, however, fought over which creation was best. Finally I barred them from the Fort Boards and had my 5 and 8 year olds work together.
Do I recommend Fort Boards? Yes, but there is a catch – one of price. One box of Fort Boards costs $110. There is a lot that can be built with a box, but for some of the larger and/or more intricate structures a second box will be needed. Additionally there are panels or Design Cards, which can be purchased and used to make the forts and structures created look wooden, stone or metal. Those are cosmetic and not necessary.
If you have a large family you are going to need at least two boxes – not just to share but to create structures that will accommodate more than one or two at a time.
