Hideouts and Strongholds
Did you know that the walls of some castles are more than 12 feet thick? Or that the Great Wall of China has more than 25,000 watchtowers? Or that one of America’s most secure underground military bases is located inside a mountain, under a mile of earth and rock?
You’ve probably built forts at home from boxes or sheets, but at Camp Kinda, we’re taking that a step further. Get ready to explore a world’s worth of hideouts and strongholds, from hardened fortresses and towering castles to lonely outposts in far-off places (like outer space). You’ll learn why humans might someday live in caves on Mars, swim into an underwater research lab, see some castle-building in action, and even meet a few animals known for making hideouts of their own.
what you’ll need
- Your Camp Kinda toolkit
- Red plastic cup
- Smaller clear cup
- Battery operated tea light (optional)
- Black paper
- White or masking tape
- Soft, nerf-type balls or wadded up paper
- Various materials for fort-making
- Cardboard boxes
- A ball of yarn or string
- 4 empty toilet paper or paper towel tubes
- Paint (optional)
weekly family activity
Watch the animated film Howl’s Moving Castle together. This beautifully animated fairy tale from Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki features an entirely different type of castle—one that clatters around on mechanical legs and houses a dreamlike cast of characters. Check the Common Sense Media review for more information and to make sure it’s a good fit for your family.

this week’s content builder:
EdNavigator
This week’s content was compiled by the educators, parents, and championship fort-builders at EdNavigator.
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