Whether you are like my family with lots of winter snow, or enjoying the warm sunshine this Kid Painted Pretend Ice Castle Fort is sure to please all. If you follow this blog or my Instagram account you know I love big art and using our Fort Magic Kit as the perfect backdrop for unusual painting surfaces. During a recent Winter Wonderland Art Party at Homegrown Studio I created a giant “ice castle” using our fort8i materials plus one household item. You totally need to make this! It was such a blast I used it for three more classes.
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE KID PAINTED PRETEND ICE CASTLE FORT
fort building materials- we LOVE our Fort Magic Kit– worth every penny! (If you don’t have a fort kit you could also create this using large cardboard boxes and cut out openings
clear cling wrap- this is the brand we used
tempera paints– we used white and blue and mixed to make a variety of shades
HOW TO MAKE THE KID PAINTED PRETEND ICE CASTLE FORT
Prior to introducing the painting part of the activity you need to create the fort structure. Because I was creating this for my Toddler Time Class I used my Fort Magic Kit to create the fort ahead of time. If you have older children you could do this part together. Once you have the basic structure it’s time to create the “ice” walls. Getting this started is a little tricky so move slowly. Begin by wrapping the clear cling wrap around one of the polls and attach with one of the clips. Next slowly wrap the clear cling wrap around the outside of the fort. I added two layers all over the fort. The beauty of the cling wrap is that it will naturally stick to itself. I added some butcher paper under the fort for any paint drips and because kids love to paint the floors too.
I mixed up some jars of paint in a variety of light blue hues and white and placed them with paint brushes around the fort. Now the fun begins. Give children the time and space to explore the fort and paint as they wish. If children are hesitant it can be helpful to demonstrate how you can go into the fort, through the tunnel if you have made one and paint all over the surface.
One of the best surprises of this art activity was the connections it created between people. Because the entire fort was translucent children and adults could connect with each other through the fort. There was lots of laughter and smile as children pretended to paint each other through the cling wrap reminding me of our Clear Frame Portrait Paintings.
Nothing brings me more joy then when I observe the ideas I dream up come alive with children and watch their creativity make our art activities soar to new heights!
