Have you ever used a cardboard box as something else?  A space-rocket perhaps, a television, a doll’s bed? My kids certainly fall into the category of finding the box more exciting than whatever comes in it.  That is why we love Not A Box by Antoinette Portis.  A beautifully illustrated and simply designed book celebrating the creativity of a child and a box — it has also given us some great ideas of what our boxes could be — cars? ships? robots? elephants?

We have also ordered the follow up title Not A Stick , which I know my little boy will love as he is a big fan of sticks and brings one home from nursery nearly everyday.  Oh sorry — they are not sticks, they are fishing rods, telescopes (careful of that one!), machines and devices…

Last Summer we turned a big box into a house — it was so much fun until we left it out in the rain!  But please don’t wait for a big box — an empty cracker box makes an excellent rocket and cereal boxes hold endless possibilities. There are some more Babyccino box ideas here to get you started.

-Mo