Rainy Days

I found over time that rainy days brought out the most creativity. When you are trapped inside for a day, you develop an indoor haven and world of adventure. Lucky for me my parents encouraged thinking outside of the box and sometimes within.

One of the coolest presents a child can get with little money is large appliance boxes, colored construction paper, scrap fabric, string, tape, scissors, glue, crayons, and markers. Don't discount the medium size boxes as well. Together everything can create a fun place that gives hours of play time.

Here is one creation I remember developing during a series of rainy days:

I took a refrigerator box for the castle tower. Drew on the bricks and cut out the windows. Then attached a stove box with tape and cut an opening that passed through both as a hallway. Added windows and a main door with scissors. The windows had shoe boxes attached under them filled with construction paper flowers. On the outside I drew on wood looking shutters on the windows. The door I was drawn it to look like it was carved out of wood. Then I took another large box cut in half to that had two sides and a corner to use as the roof. Using different colored construction paper I added roof tiles to the roof.

Next I furnished and decorated the inside. Taking string and fabric scraps I made curtains for the windows. Used construction paper to create frames for the artwork that I cut out of magazines and glued to the walls. Medium size boxes were cut into a table and stove. Lastly, I drew a stone fireplace on one of the walls and used construction paper with markers to create the logs and flames in the hearth.

Once the play house was set, it was to time to invite my friends (stuff animals) into the new castle for a party. Party hats and tiaras were made out of construction paper with splashes of color added with glue and glitter, sometimes an occasional feather added. We would pretend it was a grand tea party or a secret gathering to plot a take over of a neighboring castle. Sometimes being influenced by "Alice in Wonderland", "Robin Hood", and "Cinderella".

All great stories are influenced by the past, present and thought of the future. I twist some of the creative elements that I developed in my castles to describe cottages, homes and castles in the book series.

I'm glad there were plenty of rainy days to develop creative thought. May you have an insightful rainy day.