REVIEW: Forts!

If you’re looking for a unique experience that tosses out the “sit still and watch” rulebook of theater, Forts! at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis is pure magic.

This isn’t a show you passively observe from plush red seats. Forts! is a living, breathing playground of imagination. A limited number of families gather in an ever-evolving performance space stocked with boxes, cushions, sofas, and other building materials. From the moment the first cardboard tower goes up, the room transforms into a buzzing landscape of creativity. Kids (and let’s be honest, plenty of parents) immediately roll up their sleeves and get to work.

What makes Forts! even more fun is how it unfolds over time. Throughout, fresh challenges emerge and the energy shifts. Walls grow taller, tunnels stretch longer, and alliances form between neighboring builders. Sometimes the greatest joy comes from knocking it all down and starting again.

The sweet spot for this experience is absolutely the 4–8 age range. Kids in that window have the perfect blend of imagination and fearlessness. What surprised me most was how wholeheartedly the adults leaned in. Grown ups were crawling through tunnels, negotiating structural engineering strategies, and enthusiastically reinforcing rooflines like this was their moment to shine. It’s rare to find an event where the whole family is equally invested out of genuine delight. The joy lingered long after we left the building. It felt less like attending a show and more like stepping into a shared dream. As an adult, this fort building experience seems like an essential experience to provide to your child if you haven’t yet converted your dining room table into a tent with sheets.

There’s something beautifully simple about the premise yet the experience provided feels enormous. In a world filled with screens and packed schedules, Forts! creates space for collaborative creativity and unstructured wonder inside a thoughtfully guided framework. It’s a millennial parent’s dream.

Some evenings entertain you. Others stay with you. This one felt like a core memory in the making. My only criticism is that it is available only for a limited time as I believe it should be presented on a regular basis so that the magic can be more widely enjoyed.

Forts! is at the Children’s Theatre in Minneapolis. Tickets start at $30 and are in limited availability.
Ages 2+; 21+ nights available

Photo by Glenn Stubbe