Do you love the pirate ship in this picture?  My kids sure did.

We had a day off of school a couple of weeks ago and I asked my kids what they wanted to do with their time off.  Of course, they always want to do expensive things like going to the movie theaters at ten bucks a head…um, no.  We save up to go to a few movies a year but there is no way we can afford to go every weekend or day off.  That is seriously like dropping $100 every single time.  We also have a new baby and some outings are just not possible while my husband is at work, like swimming.  My kids love to swim, but only three of them can swim without help.  I love puddle jumpers for this reason, but that is for another post.  I only have two hands and four non swimmers and a new baby just isn’t going to happen.  It’s also winter here so outdoor activities, like the park, are out. Then the kids want to play with one of the best inventions ever, which we bought a few years ago as a family Christmas gift.

Score!!  I love when Christmas gifts become so useful and beloved.  So many of them are played with for one day and never thought of again.   Having so many kids and all of their toys and gifts can become a real challenge when you are looking for yet another gift for another Christmas.  Well, look no further.  This gift may be a bit on the pricey side on a budget, but when the whole family can play with it, the cost looks way less.  It’s also cheaper than electronics and way more engaging.  Even the hubby loves getting involved in this creative play.

It’s called Fort Magic, and it really does create magic.  It has over 100 pieces of pvc pipe to build amazing life-size structures.  There are plenty of connectors to build lots of different types of forts. It also comes with these cool material connectors to attach sheets and blankets to the fort.  Remember the days of stacking books on blankets across chairs to create forts?  This is way better.

Its so fun to experiment with all kinds of creations.  I have seen five year olds build some pretty incredible forts all by themselves.  Of course, when the hubby gets involved, you get some pretty fun things for imaginative play.  We have loved using it for decorations and activities at birthday parties.  Check out this palace we built for a genie themed birthday party.  It seriously took less than fifteen minutes to build and was such a fun addition.

We used plastic tablecloths to cover it with.  It was heaven for the partygoers.  It even had three different rooms.  We filled it with balloons and they had fun with those too.  When you calculate out how many times this has helped us save money on other things, like buying decorations for parties or one trip to the movie theaters, it really doesn’t seem that pricey at all.

My kids have also had fun setting up indoor camping and having sleepovers in it.  We made one big enough to fit a whole mattress in it, and they had one comfy night.  We also can make them roomy enough to stand up in so it can become a real playhouse.  If you are thinking of getting one of those tent or teepee playhouses, this will give you a lot more creative play in the building of something unique first and then in the play afterward.

Seriously, you need this to make your next staycation a hit!  Its cheaper than one night in a hotel room and gives you years and years of activities to look forward to.