Building Set Takes Indoor Fort Construction to a New Level
Gathering up all of the pillows, blankets and couch cushions in the house to build little forts or clubhouses is one of our fondest childhood memories. Designer Ross Currie makes it even easier for kids (or adults – we won’t judge) to build those magical living room forts with his invention: Squishy Forts.
Currie was initially trying to develop an iPad app for kids that would keep them occupied. He realized, however, that kids need the tactile, creative experiences that electronic amusements just can’t provide. Building things in real life can help to develop a child’s creativity and spatial reasoning far better than any app or digital game.
Squishy Forts is a set of foam pieces of different sizes and shapes, reminiscent of the different kinds of pillows used in a traditional pillow fort. Unlike the forts we built as children, though, these pieces have strong magnets embedded in them to help hold the imaginative structures together. When not in use, the blocks fit together neatly into an ottoman or a sofa, letting the toys stay close at hand but out of the way.
