It Takes a Cardboard Village

When we offered our house as the site for a two year-old's birthday party, and I saw the February weather swing from pleasant and mild to miserably wet and icy, I panicked started thinking of possible indoor activities for preschoolers.

Without one original creative bone in my bod, I started searching Pinterest.  Pretty dangerous, but I came across a cool idea.  Especially for our young gearhead.  See my cardboard village?

recycled garage with (frozen yogurt take-out cover) skylight



gas station?  car wash?

parking garage



lower level parking garage

 

just the right size for matchbox cars



Set up on the covered patio with benches,
it was good to go, rain or shine.



HeyYea and I made these as sturdily as we could.  We used a sharp Exacto knife and straight-edge on cardboard boxes and containers of various shapes + empty wrapping paper tubes.  Duct tape wrapped, hot glued-- how long would it last?  But, hey, it was totally free.  Not only did the village withstand the intense play of a handful of preschool boys that day, it has become D's hands-down favorite inside toy for a month of Fridays.

 

Beep!  Beep!  Vroooom!  How do boys make all those authentic sounds?!