Cardboard House

Any parent will know that children can glean hours of entertainment from a cardboard box whilst expensive toys lay ignored all around! Even at the age of ten my daughter will find something interesting and creative to do with a shoebox!

One of my favourite toys on the market at the moment are cardboard houses - or tepees like the one pictured - or even space rockets! I think they are super, they are affordable and there are many good reasons to buy one for your kids.

Forlorn plastic toy cars and play houses that have long since ceased to entertain appear to be a lasting fixture at the local dump. The reality is we spend money on so many toys for our kids each year but we almost never give a second thought to their carbon impact or exactly how they will be disposed of when they outgrow their kid's interests. A cardboard playhouse is crafted from recycled and eco-friendly cardboard. And as soon as the children outgrow them they may be put in the compost bin since they are biodegradable – a cardboard house will not be a waste hazard like plastic playhouses. Since they are light-weight and pack totally flat they moreover help reduce demands upon transportation.

The feeling that toys are invading the home is common among parents of young children, but finding sufficient storage is often a struggle. Cardboard houses being light-weight and flatpack are hassle-free to move and store away. This also means this is the kind of toy you can pack on the floor of the car boot with scarcely any impression on the space available for other travel luggage. It’s a great resource for taking on a family vacation, particularly if you have to amuse small children on a rainy day.

Cardboard play houses can be found in a range of styles, such as, a rocket, a castle, a shed, an inspiring tepee and obviously a house – each child should discover something alluring in this charming range.

Little children are sure to be delighted by cardboard play houses and will delight in the opportunity to shape their own play experiences. The cardboard play house encourages creativity and imagination. Cardboard play houses are unadorned in order that children can produce their own themes instead of having grownup ideas pushed upon them. Youngsters can employ a variety of craft materials to decorate their cardboard house for example collage bits and bobs and crayons and paints. And once they are satisfied with their creations it's time for them to indulge their flights of fancy in make-believe. It is time for a magical journey!

You could use a cardboard house as a stimulating and engaging team activity at a dress up party, it would certainly be different from the usual run of the mill and you may well feel glad of the opportunity to let them get stuck into an activity and instead of having to organise endless party games. If you are a childminder or run a day care center, why don't you use your cardboard play house – or castle or rocket – as stage scenery, as a focus for a small play or drama workshop?