Well, I think you can see how thrilled this 2 year old was to hear about the cardboard box challenge we received from
TinkerLab this week! We are thrilled to have been invited to take part, along with 20+ other bloggers, to celebrate TinkerLab's anniversary and I can't wait to see the range of creative ideas that come from using one, simple cardboard box!
We have been very big on storytelling recently and Cakie is just discovering the world of fairy tales with awe and wonder. She is particularly keen on
Sleeping Beauty and
Jack and the Beanstalk, so what better to turn this box into than a castle story-telling box?! As with previous
DIY projects, this was a collaborative effort with me taking direction from her but stepping in to do the difficult parts, as this is something we hope to use as a toy and tool, not really a piece of art work.
So, I started off by cutting turrets, windows and a simple flap for a drawbridge.
She helped me thread some black ribbon through some holes in the door and above it, creating a simple pulley to open and close it. This was great as a discussion point and for experimentation.
I tore apart another piece of the box to reveal the ridged section inside. I cut this and stuck it onto some wooden blocks to fashion simple print-making tools. Cakie used these to dip into paint and print stones/bricks all over the castle walls. (We painted it in emulsion first- a Farrow & Ball tester pot no less!)
When it was dry they both went to town smothering the walls (and insides) with heaps of confetti glue. If you don't own any of this stuff, you need it. It made the walls sparkly and shiny, perfect for adding a bit of magic.
And we did a round up of all little people, horses and trees etc that we could find to add to start story telling. The magic wand came in very handy for turning me into a frog with.
Together we reenacted Jack and the Beanstalk and then she was away. Independently retelling parts of the story, getting the little people to "Fee Fi Fo Fum" all over the place, climbing trees that became beanstalks and shrieking with delight as she discovered gold coins hidden in a pot. Hopefully she will continue to enjoy it and be able to use it as a story box for telling many other fairy tales and nursery rhymes too.
This activity is good for:
* working collaboratively
* independent play
* story telling/ retelling/ recount/ developing storybook language
* creative and imaginative development
Click through the other amazing ideas that are linked up below and leave some comments on your favourites! I hope this project continues as we have so many more ideas for things to do.
What would YOU do with a cardboard box?
Anna, this is simply awesome! Just look at Cakie in the box -- could she be any happier?! It's a great reminder of how engaged children can be with simple materials. Our wooden dollhouse is mostly a dust collector, and I wonder if we'd use it more if we whipped one up out of cardboard and glitter. Thanks for being part of the fun!
ReplyDeleteOh I LOVE the drawstring on your castle!! How cool! Brilliant!! Makes our castle look a little wibbly wobbly :-)
ReplyDeleteLove making stuff out boxes. We have one permanent box in the corner, that serves as a hide-hole! :-)
Maggy
I have forwarded two blog awards to your blog as I find it both really inspiring and fabulous: http://willowatsquidoo.blogspot.com/2011/05/couple-awards-to-share-fabulous.html
ReplyDeleteI've said it before but I really really can't wait for imaginative play to kick in……this is so great. I know J would love it. When we move in next week we will have sooooo many cardboard boxes and I am definitely keeping some for just this reason. Love it.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful and I Love the pics!!! I need to get more boxes to play with...especially big appliance boxes!
ReplyDeleteThis is superb! I love the drawbridge!
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful play space! And so much more gratifying than a store bought castle. I imagine Cakie has a great sense of pride as she moves the people around her castles.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fun way to use a box! I can see lots of play happening going forward with the castle which makes it all worthwhile!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle, that is so sweet of you :-)
ReplyDeleteSeeing this makes me want to play :-)
ReplyDeleteSuper like this.. Love the draw string bridge, how celever! Love the pic with ur DD inside the box:)
ReplyDeleteI really need to go find some Big boxes..
Wowzers! This is fabulous! I have a little Princess here who would love a pad like this to explore :)
ReplyDeleteSo much imaginative play here! I love the draw string bridge, too! And, your daughter's pic inside the box is so adorable. The unadulterated happiness on her face is a joy to watch..!
ReplyDeleteYour castle looks amazing. My husband made daughter a very beautiful castle of wood following my less than stellar attempt at cardboard castle. It's such a great way to act out the stories.
ReplyDeleteThe castle is simply awesome! I loved the way you used the wooden blocks to print and the ribbon door!
ReplyDeleteThis is great,I'm so doing this!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for such lovely comments!
ReplyDeleteI love your castle! My daughter would love something like that. Maybe with our next box....
ReplyDeleteMy four-year-old has just seen this and said 'can we make one soon?' :) Thanks for sharing with the Play Academy
ReplyDeleteAnd..... Thank you for sharing on Kids Crafts Party!
ReplyDeleteMaggy
This turned out so well! It's totally going on our craft to-list! Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThat will certainly come in handy for a number of topics in class! Thank you for linking to the Resource Centre!
ReplyDeleteJulia
Wow! This DIY project is very enjoyable to do. So creative, crafty and child friendly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing,
Cathy@cheap digitizing