The Magic of Boxes

Recently my husband (and many wonderful friends and family) chipped in to buy me a Sleep Number bed! It was such a lovely thoughtful thing to do and I am very happy heading to bed each night now that I know my sleep number (it's 30 buy the way). Anyway, the bed arrived in several parts and in several BIG cardboard boxes.
My two younger boys were thrilled to have these new rooms to play in. Immediately these boxes were transformed into rockets and dog houses, it was amazing. The markers came out and windows were drawn in, a drooling dog was even seen peeking from the 'outside' looking in longingly, and a rug was colored in on the 'floor' of the new 'dog house' box, making it all very home like and inviting. And the rocket box (piloted by a plump toddler) shook and quaked (a bit too realistically for Mom), as my 9 year old's imagination took off!
I just gotta say, I love my bed but I love a nice big cardboard box too. It had been way too long since one had been around here. Boxes are an open-ended construction material, for young children, something becomes real just because they choose to use it that way. A box can be a car, a clubhouse, a spaceship, a cave. And a box allows kids total control over their own space with everything they love close at hand. Rooms can seem overwhelmingly large to someone 3 feet 3 inches tall.
So the next time you get the opportunity to bring a big box home, give your kids the box, break out the markers and imagination, who knows what your box will become! Don't forget to get inside the box yourself, you'll be so happy you did.