Fun with a cardboard box

What can a child do with an empty box?  The possibilities are endless.  Back in the fall my girls used shoeboxes to make homes for their collection of pocket sized dolls, but their larger dolls were left homeless.

My girls had been eyeing the growing collection of larger boxes in the basement (due to my love of online shopping).  So they set out on another Sunday afternoon to make not only a home for their dolls, but a little village.  Here's a complimentary tour of their neighborhood:

This home comes with a spacious yard where the kids can run and play.

Don't underestimate the value of convenient parking.  (Bonus that these dolls fit into the Barbie car so nicely)

And who doesn't love a full bath to relax in after a busy day?

And when the dolls' day is done, it's time to curl up with their favorite stuffed animal and hit the hay.

I love to give the girls something so plain and ordinary and see what clever things they will come up with on their own - with zero influence from me.  

Do you have empty boxes just begging to be transformed into some unexpected cool toy?  Go ahead and let your child's imagination run free - just hand them a box and see how their play time unfolds and transforms.  

Need a little more inspiration?  Check out these clever kids at play:

• A car for an outing to the library and coffee shop - from The Good Long Road
• A game called Rolly Rocky Holey - from Whimsical Kids Canvas
• Celebrate Christmas (even in the summer) with Santa's sleigh - from At Home with Ali
• Learning about shadows with boxes - from A Mom with a Lesson Plan
• Squirt a little paint in a box and see what come of it - from Carrots are Orange
• Letter and number recognition with a post box - from Domestic Goddesque
• A huge and realistic fishing boat - from Childhood Beckons
• A fort and a road mat - from Taming the Goblin
• Make a dinosaur helmet - from Learn with Play @ Home
• A toy castle with paper tube men - from Red Ted Art
• Make a toy bean bag toss - from Dirt and Boogers
• Paint an abstract art mural - from Experimenting Mom
• A photo booth - from East Coast Mommy
• Paint a mural to illustrate your favorite nursery rhyme - from Creative Family Fun
• Make a set of photo blocks - from The Educators' Spin on It
• A foot-powered firetruck (or any vehicle for that matter) - from yours truly