Most of us have delighted in watching a child play in or with a box. One of my favorite children’s picture books is “Not a Box” by Antoinette Portis. The main character is a bunny who imagines the possibilities of a single box: as a firetruck, a robot, a pirate ship and more, leading him/her on a number of awesome adventures.
When our team, still kids at heart, looks at a box, we see countless possibilities. In our June Summer Adventures Camp and for a couple of our April/May lessons, we made great use of the humble, yet inspiring box to create a number of artful objects for play. After all, the theme of our summer program is “Playful Art and the Art of Play”… Word is out that our students have continued to reinvent and play with their creations for hours following their making: from shadow puppet theaters, flying machines, collection boxes (can be reconfigured daily, weekly, etc), hideouts for pals and woodland theaters, stories & play are in the making!!!! If the words "I'm bored" crosses your child's lips this summer, show them the slide show below, give them a box, colorful paper or paint, and let them get busy making something truly wonderful!!!