The Essence of a Cardboard Box

A couple of weeks ago, I sat in the pickup line at my son’s school and observed a young girl bringing a refrigerator size box home from school. I observed her father begrudgingly putting this huge box inside the back of the car. The father questioned, “This is trash. Why are we taking the school’s trash home?” The daughter looked a bit confused by her father’s reaction as it appeared her imagination was already in play. He eventually asked, “What are you going to do with this box anyway?” The girl’s voice lit up as she described how she was going to sleep in the box. The father looked even more disgusted and said, “You don’t sleep in boxes!” Or do you?

It took everything I had to not get out of my car and explain to the father that his daughter is actually brilliant for taking the box home. I wanted to explain that cardboard boxes tap into children’s imaginations. I wanted to reassure everyone that cardboard boxes are a gift to children’s creative spirit’s and are recognized in the National Toy Hall of Fame.

So what is it about cardboard boxes that intrigue the minds of children so much?

“With nothing more than a little imagination, boxes can be transformed into forts or houses, spaceships or submarines, castles or caves. Inside a big cardboard box, a child is transported to a world of his or her own, one where anything is possible.” –National Toy Hall of Fame

There is Imagination in a Box and children all over the world are playing with boxes! A young boy named Caine began an entire imagination movement with his Cardboard Arcade. Learn More Here Caines Arcade.

Are you adding boxes to your Outdoor Classroom? How are your children playing with boxes outdoors? We want to hear from you. What are your children creating with cardboard boxes? Send us your pictures and stories and add them in the comments below.