The Cardboard Castle

We snagged this amazing folding cardboard castle at the used library book sale this year.  We happened upon it completely by chance, and I believe that a cardboard castle couldn’t have found a better home anywhere.  It came in a big plastic bag, and with it were a bunch of castle paper dolls of all sorts and walks of life, and a pop up book that also turns into an intricate paper castle, along with several small short books depicting the tales of King Arthur.  The large folding castle can configure into several different shapes, and it’s actually too big to fit extended out into any shape on the activity table, but we made it work because Mr. Sneaky Pants jumped at the chance to draw battlefields and moats on the large piece of paper on the activity table.  The art on both sides of the castle is very detailed and fun to examine.  Mr. SP has spent much time with it already.

Of all the the things little boys gravitate toward, I’m so glad mine picked castles. I always was fascinated with castles and medieval life myself.  When I had chicken pox in kindergarten, my artistic Grandma Jan, who spoiled me to no end, brought over new paper dolls that she created to fit into a castle theme every day.  I was so miserable with my chicken pox spots, and so frustrated about not being able to go to school, because I LOVED school.  One day my grandma brought over all the people for the castle, the next day a castle that stood up and was made out of tagboard, another a carriage for the paper dolls to ride in.  It was truly magnificent.  I played with them for hours. It was almost worth not going to school and having itchy spots.