When my dear friend Bethe over at the Grass Stain Guru offered up a holiday challenge to her most playful pals, I couldn’t resist getting in on the action.
The idea? Gather your leftover cardboard boxes from the holiday festivities and let the kids play.
You know, make up their own fun!
The Christmas Box Challenge has no rules, but I couldn’t resist adding my own twist. The Explorers had to make and play with their box creations outside.
They were both overjoyed at the prospect.
Two medium-sized cardboard boxes were all it took to amuse these two. The boxes immediately became trains and The Explorers set off to all sorts of fun places.
It didn’t take them long to add “passengers” – little bits of nature they picked up around the backyard.
Soon they were adding sticks, wood planks and toy trains to the adventure, laughing so hard they often fell right out of their boxes. (Okay, it was really just The Little Explorer who had trouble staying aboard.)
I’d hoped to have played along with The Explorers, but they actually asked me not to. Sometimes, I’m happy to oblige.
After all, it doesn’t take fancy toys, electronic do-hickeys or the latest-and-greatest craze to bring your kids joy.
Sometimes, a cardboard box will do just fine.
Come join the fun!
If you’ve got some unused cardboard boxes lying around (c’mon, you know you do!), I’m passing the challenge on to you.
Couldn’t you use a break from all the holiday madness to slow down, get silly and have fun?
You don’t even need a blog to participate, so there are no excuses! There’s even a chance to win prizes! (To be considered for the prizes, all entries must be posted by January 2nd. 2012.)
For more details on joining the Christmas Box Challenge, head over to Bethe’s for a look-see.
