Cardboard Castle

Do your royal subjects need a castle of their very own? Here's a play castle design - complete with turrets, drawbridge and dungeon - to build with you child.

Materials:

• Cardboard boxes
• String or rope
• Thin wood dowel
• Glue
• Scissors
• Duct tape
• Fabric
• Markers, paint, wallpaper scaps, etc.

Start with the largest box you have - appliance boxes work best.

Cut off the top flaps but leave the bottom.

To make the battlements (top wall of castle), cut out square notches along the top edge of the box.

Next, make a drawbridge by cutting a large arched doorway from the front of the box, leaving a hinge at the base. Reinforce the hinge with duct tape at the folds.

Lay the door flat on the ground. Poke two holes through on either side of the top and two holes on either side of the doorway (at the top).

Measure out two pieces of string, so that they are longer than the distance between the doorway and the fully open door.

Put each piece of string through a hole in the doorway (from outside in) and tie knots to secure.

Next, put the other end of the string through the door. Tie knots to secure. The drawbridge can now be closed by pulling the string from inside of the castle. (Note: Duct tape will help reinforce the holes and can also help anchor the knots.)

Expand your castle using an assortment of other boxes. Wide-mouth poster tubing is ideal to make turrets and towers. Cut out a cage from a smaller box to make a dungeon. Attach additional boxes to the castle using duct tape or glue cutting out doors and windows where appropriate.

Finally, decorate the castle. Here are some suggestions:

• Have your children design a coat of arms and paint it onto a fabric flag. Attach the flag to a dowel and secure to the castle with duct tape.
• Make a stone façade using a sponge and dabbing the outside walls with grey paint.
• Decorate the inside with markers, paints, fabric, wallpaper scraps, etc.
• Use smaller boxes to make furnishings.

Notes:

Check out used clothing stores for dress up clothes.

Dollar stores and/or toy stores are a good source for royal accessories, such as crowns, shields, swords, stuffed dragons, royal steeds, etc.

By Rochelle Strauss