Comments on: Fort Magic, a fun backyard building kit for kids

By: Carrie Jurney

Carrie Jurney — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 10:14:00 +0000

My hands down favorite toy growing up was Omagles. Similar, but they looked sturdier and you could make function cars, etc. Looks like you can still get them
http://www.omaglestoys.com/products/omagles-toys-the-build-anything-toy also a bit pricey, but worth 10 other toys IMHO.

By: Rudy Belova

Rudy Belova — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:01:00 +0000

Nice! I can now achive my 5 year long goal of building my own Gitmo in my back yard! Thanks!!

By: jennybean42

jennybean42 — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 23:07:00 +0000

Damn, it’s pricey though.

By: penguinchris

penguinchris — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 19:22:00 +0000

Mark, you need to get Jane some better wall/roof materials… try thrift stores for cheap patterned sheets so she doesn’t have to make do with the one unpleasant tarpaulin and the white sheet which she probably is hesitant to play with too much so that it doesn’t get dirty :)

I think this is a cool-looking toy; I’d want to make luxurious desert nomad king tents like in Lawrence of Arabia.

By: Max Meyer

Max Meyer — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 16:39:00 +0000

I had something similar that was all black tubes, red connectors, and stiff plastic plates you could snap into place to fill the tube-made polygons. Loved it. Never managed to break any bones on mine, though, and it’d be a damned shame if kids learning about gravity the hard way put a company out of business.

By: Bear Naff

Bear Naff — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 16:16:00 +0000

Sooo. This, plus Makedo and a sewing machine pretty much cover all of the full-scale kiditecture needs I can imagine. Now, we only need a way to teach architecture and sewing to children ages 6-12.

By: Ms. Anne Thrope

Ms. Anne Thrope — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Cardboard appliance boxes too! Until the parents got a little more ambitious for the outdoor projects. http://missannethropesblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/forts-and-more.html

By: fortmagic

fortmagic — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 14:35:00 +0000

Hello!
I am Erika, the director of Fort Magic. The reviews on Amazon are from some of our first customers. Many of them purchased through our website directly. We contacted all customers when we first launched on Amazon, and asked if they did indeed enjoy our product, to write an honest review. Their reviews are definitely real, as are their photos which can be found on our Facebook page also http:/facebook.com/fortmagicfun . Many of them have won our family photo of the month contest as they’ve submitted such incredible designs! We still get emails from families who love Fort Magic months after they bought it! We are so confident in Fort Magic we offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee! If you are not satisfied with Fort Magic for ANY reason we will refund your money no questions asked. You may like to give it a try!? You have nothing to lose, literally! Have a wonderful day! Erika–

By: Jonathan Roberts

Jonathan Roberts — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:25:00 +0000

I’m torn between loving the concept, and dreading bits of fort getting snarled up in my lawnmower. It does look versatile enough that it could live without a few pieces though.

By: membeth

membeth — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 05:52:00 +0000

I had a similar set as a child, but it was much sturdier and you could climb on it. The tubes were all blue and there were various colored connectors that snapped the pieces together. We built jungle gyms, forts, rickshaws and all sorts of invented things all our own. (The closest analog on the market today appears to be the Quadro Playset, but ours was cheaper and a lot more versatile.) Of course, the trouble was if you can climb on it, you can hurt yourself falling off of it . We covered a the roof of one fort in a blanket, and my younger sister tried to climb it on top of the blanket, which slid off of the plastic frame with her on it. She fell three feet headfirst onto the ground, breaking her collar bone in the process. I assume this sort of hazard did in whatever company made this fantastic toy.

By: Eric LaMotte

Eric LaMotte — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 04:29:00 +0000

When I was little I used to love playing with No Ends.
http://www.noends.com/store#ecwid:category=2498083&mode=product&product=10903083
Built some great forts. No idea which is superior.

By: sockdoll

sockdoll — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 04:21:00 +0000

In my day we draped a blanket over a card table, AND LIKED IT!

(My day pretty much sucked…)

By: McDrunk

McDrunk — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 04:08:00 +0000

In the end that’s all that matters.

By: Mark_Frauenfelder

Mark_Frauenfelder — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 03:55:00 +0000

That’s a shame. Nevertheless, my kid really likes it!

By: johnphantom

johnphantom — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:56:00 +0000

Looks like a greenhouse tent to me.

By: robcat2075

robcat2075 — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:45:00 +0000

When I was little we had “Flintstones Building Blocks” which were like giant Legos one could build child sized structures with. Simpler and more elegant in conception than this item although this looks entertaining too.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:35:00 +0000

9 out of the 11 reviews are the reviewer’s only review. All of the reviews have 100% positive meta-reviews. That strains probability.

By: McDrunk

McDrunk — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:33:00 +0000

I’ve deleted my original post after receiving Erika of Fort Magic reply below.

By: Mark_Frauenfelder

Mark_Frauenfelder — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:25:00 +0000

How can you tell they are shill reviews?

By: EH

EH — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:20:00 +0000

here’s a possibility: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathowie/3135312519/

By: McDrunk

McDrunk — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:16:00 +0000

I’ve deleted my original post after receiving Erika of Fort Magic reply below.

By: Jerril

Jerril — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:09:00 +0000

Seriously. Is that a bridge?

By: oldtaku

oldtaku — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:31:00 +0000

I love the idea and would have /loved/ a tinker toy set for forts (we had to use dead trees). The curved bits are nice too.

But I still find that very optimistic drawing of a fort in the lower right amusing. In the fine tradition of toy box art!