Hiding out in East PM: The Construction of Forts and Hideouts in the East Room Yard

 

 

Hideouts in the East Room yard began in the bamboo forest and under some tall bushes near a fence. These spaces became meeting places for small groups of peers, where many discussions took place about the next steps in their play scripts. “Let’s make traps for the tigers!” “I’m a lion. You are the mommy lion. She’s the sister lion. What do you want to be?” The play evolved over time, and the spaces became more elaborate. “We need blankets!” Teachers provided blankets in many areas of the environment as requested. Children used the blankets with block structures, trees and climbing equipment, and “pirates” used them to transform our fishing boat into a wondrous structure with a sail, places to sleep, and protection from the “bad guys.” Groups decided together where they would sleep on the tent-like boat, where the food would go, how many books they needed for their trip, and how long it would take. What else did they need? They collected planks to create seats in the boat, added food and water for the trip, and decided where each person would work and rest.

 

Others made hideouts of a slightly smaller scale. One child began placing large blankets over a climbing structure. Red boards were moved to create many attached levels. He asked a nearby teacher to help him move the heavy boards. “Look, teacher, I made bunk beds! Now we need a blanket over us!” A blanket was placed over the structure in a tent-like way, and he crawled in to try out his new place. “This is great!” He called out to some children nearby, “Come in! Come in! I have bunk beds. You can go there! You can come in, too! I have room on my bunk bed!” Two more children joined him. Sounds of soft snoring ensued, followed by gentle laughter as the children enjoyed this new space. Other children brought blankets to create new spaces within the redwood trees. These enclosures became tranquil areas to quietly read a book or talk with a friend.

 

Fort building benefits children in many ways, including socially. Children cooperate as they negotiate the planning and building stages of a fort. They practice compromising and giving and taking instructions. They bond together in these spaces, often creating secret passwords to get in and rules within the new space. We saw teamwork at play as children attached multiple blankets to construct a fort—one child held the blanket in place and another helped to secure it. After settling in, the children agreed that they needed a water break. They asked a teacher to keep an eye on their hideout while they ran to get water and rushed back to their play.

 

Fort building also exercises children’s cognitive skills as they plan, solve problems, and use their imaginations. At the same time, it encourages creativity as they try out their ideas, and it helps them develop their spatial reasoning skills. Physically, fort making takes a lot of work! I have heard many sighs during the process of building a hideout. Building one of the large hideouts required a lot of “heavy work,” as children brought over benches and blocks for tables and beds.

 

Fort building also encourages emotional well-being, as children can make a small, quiet space to relax and feel in control of their surroundings. The energy changes—the voices become quieter and the pace slower. High-energy play becomes more focused and sustained as roles are chosen, rules are made, and spaces within the smaller space are labeled for a specific purpose. Children feel ownership over their surroundings and within their space. They feel proud of their buildings: “We made that! Do you want to come in after snack time?” Lastly, these special places created by children encourage independence and build confidence, and they can be a stress-release as the children create their own space where the world is suddenly theirs to control. And let’s not forget—fort making is FUN!