Review: EZ-FORT

The countdown is now on until the summer holidays..... I always love to have a plan for each day for the summer holidays to give us something structured to look forward to each day. And I have now been able to plan lots of days outside in the sunshine with my children playing with EZ-fort building playhouses and the like.

I had never heard of this product before I was contacted to review it and after checking it out online I thought it looked pretty good. Roll on to when the package arrived...

My son excitedly ripped the packaging open and got stuck in with building straight away. He didn't even need to look at the booklet. I think he was agog at having a life-size version of a building toy i.e. lego or Knex.

Upon opening the upstairs window later that evening, I gazed down on my son and a group of friends that had quickly gathered after seeing the EZ-fort. It was a lovely feeling because you had the children who had pools in their garden, and children with trampolines and bouncy castles. They had all these lovely things in their garden and they were all drawn to the EZ-Fort. I think all the kids were attracted to the EZ-fort because it was something that could produce big and impressive structures that they could be proud of; and they could even play inside the structures afterwards. It was also really lovely to see the teamwork that was going on. Boys being boys; pure and simple. Creating something lovely - together. I also didn't have to worry about any bones getting broken or slipping on water like I do when they are on trampolines and pools.

They quickly erected a den and came inside for some sheets. I can't tell you the amount of fun they had that evening with the EZ-fort. Imagine the delight that Lego and Knex brings x1000.

The following statement from the EZ- Fort website really sums up everything about EZ-fort.

"It’s the perfect size for any living room, bedroom or den. Not too big, not too small. A playhouse in the morning or a fort in the afternoon...EZ-Fort is always engaging and versatile.

EZ-fort also promotes critical thinking, creativity and social skills. Think about it....Children love to create special spaces for playing make-believe, hiding out, chilling out, and who knows? They may even take a nap!

Building with EZ-Fort stimulates independence and imagination"

Usually statements by companies are far from the truth when it comes to how good their products are, but this statement really hits the mark for us. Each night since we have had EZ-Fort, my son has come home from school and the first thing he has asked is whether he is able to take the EZ-Fort outside to play.

So are there any negatives? The only thing I can suggest to EZ-Fort is that it would be great if they could include some sheets in with the sticks and balls. I would happily pay extra for this, as my sheets and towels are constantly going missing as they partake in becoming the world's greatest den, house, castle etc.

Here's Master Craftiness giving his opinion:

We had a great time on YouTube watching videos of creations made with EZ-Fort; it gave us tons of inspiration. We are thinking of investing in another pack so that we can make even bigger creations.

I'm giving each week in the summer holidays a theme; castles, animals, sports etc and the challenge will be to make a suitable structure. What will you do with your EZ-Fort? The possibilities are endless.....

If you fancy an even bigger and stronger version, then look for the older brother of EZ-Fort which is called Toobeez. This comes with fabric panels too. It's £99.95 but worth every penny.

For more info please visit www.mapstoys.co.uk