Thursday, July 19, 2012

Resourceful kids can build castles!

Since my kids were very little, I've made it a point to do various projects with them with things that we've had around the house. A lot of creative things can be done with old sheets, boxes, scrap paper, etc.

We've had a lot of fun doing those projects, and it has helped my kids learn an important life skill: resourcefulness. Learning to make the most of the materials they have on hand will help them in countless ways as they grow up and and start to do more on their own.

And nothing is more satisfying than when I see them using those skills without my prompting!

One day when my kids were "bored," my second daughter said to my son (the youngest), "Let's make something out of cardboard!"

He was all for it, so they grabbed a couple of cardboard boxes, scissors, and glue and went outside on the deck and set to work.

What resulted was this cardboard castle:


Then they painted it to look like it was made of stone! I hadn't helped them build the castle, but I did help them paint, partly because I didn't want to be left out of the fun. 

the front

the inside

Eventually I helped them make a few pieces of furniture for the inside (pictures to come in a future post). Sometimes they use it when they are playing with their Lego men. And, of course, I promised never to get rid of it!

What else can you do with a cardboard box?




2 comments:

  1. All I know is that you can use a cardboard box to breakdance. Unfortunately, I can't breakdance.

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  2. Yes, I remember watching the teenagers at the bus stop breakdance on cardboard when I was a kid.

    But a cardboard box can also be used as a sled, or a fort, or to make a sword and shield, or a backdrop for a puppet show. When I was a kid we used to stand them on their sides and use them as houses for our Barbies.

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