Forts! Build Your Own Adventure Photo by Glen Stubbe Photography

The concept of Forts! is to give children of all ages access to a giant living room and piles of boxes with which to build. My children, ages 4 and 6, had a great time creating various styles of forts with tunnels and any variety of aesthetic choices. (My 4-year-old's design included a "patio.") The experience has a run time of around 50 minutes and throughout that time more elements are introduced, such as adding blankets and dimming the lights, at which point the sound design begins to incorporate nighttime sounds like crickets, and some twinkle lights appear as stars in the night sky.

While my family enjoyed their time at Forts!, I don't know that it was particularly unique or more engaging than a visit to the Minnesota Children's Museum or simply building a fort in our own living room. I appreciated the care that was put into all of the design elements, and the fact that the participants were capped at around 40. The amount of boxes and couches within the space encouraged and necessitated negotiating with other children and families building around you. Ultimately, you will get out of Forts! what you put into it, but it left me wanting more. Perhaps if our two uncredited guides, who gave us the instructions and participated with our building process, were given a story to tell to guide us through the experience I would have left feeling more satisfied.

Forts! Build Your Own Adventure runs through April 5, 2026, at Children's Theatre Company, Cargill Stage, 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis MN. For tickets and information, please call 612-874-0400 or visit childrenstheatre.org.