Indoors and Out -Playhouses, Forts and Such
With permission from Vicki Lansky author of “Practical Parenting Tips”
You can buy loads of expensive toys and equipment that are educational and fun for children to play with and you can take your children places where they’ll learn a lot and have a good time. But you can also supply inexpensive things for them to play with which will provide hours of fun.
Playhouses, forts and such
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Drape a card table with an old sheet to make a playhouse that can be put up and taken down in minutes. Cut or draw windows and doors and let the kids decorate the sheet by drawing flowers, shutters and bricks with felt tip pens.
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Use a large mover’s carton or the big box from a household appliance for a playhouse. Cut doors and windows and let the children draw curtains, rugs and pictures inside and shrubbery, shutters and a doorbell outside. Remember that large cartons also make forts, tunnels, trains, boats – the only limit is the imagination.
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Cover the top of the old wooden playpen with a sheet of plywood and remove three or four slats from one side: instant playhouse.
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Hang bedspreads, sheets or blankets over chairs (hold them in place with spring clothespins) for a secret hideout.
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Make train or airplane seats for several children with chairs and things from all over the house.
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Spread magazines or furniture cushions around the floor to make “rooms” and to use as stepping stones. Or use carpet squares for “magic carpets.”
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Put an old mattress on the floor for tumbling and jumping to save wear and tear on chairs, couches and beds.
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Make a dollhouse by attaching together four boxes of the same size, two up and two down. Cut windows and doors. Give the kids scraps of cloth, wallpaper or carpeting and let them decorate.
