The Chicago Children's Museum has a new exhibit, Unboxed: Adventures in Cardboard, which is a celebration of the most universally loved toy: the cardboard box. We really love our toys, but this holiday season don't forget to hang onto your packing materials and get reacquainted with the humble box.
The exhibit features an enormous mural, a towering Box Giant and a winding box maze. Visitors are encouraged to make their own cardboard constructions and enjoy the corrugated cube's fun and possibilities. Unboxed runs through May 5 at the Chicago Children's Museum. Families who can't make it to Chicago can create their own cardboard revelries and check out this video from the exhibit that shows what happens when you make a toy store that sells only boxes.
• Learn more: Chicago Children's Museum
(Image and video: Chicago Tribune)
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While I am a BIG supporter of the magic of a cardboard box, I'm really surprised/disappointed that this initiative could not also encourage the reuse of old boxes and materials, which are also free and come in a wider variety of sizes and textures. They obviously thought deeply about how to market this idea to make it seem new, so why not put that same energy into the reuse of already existing cardboard boxes and alike materials?
I love anything that encourages the use of the almighty cardboard box. What I love about cardboard boxes is that everything is a possibility for the kids. When my daughter wanted a pretend washing machine, she said "I know, I can make it out of cardboard!" She didn't even suggest us buying one.
Same was true for her princess party. She wanted to create a whole Disney princess village. We're talking Belle's village, Sleeping Beauty's castle, etc. etc. We made the whole thing out of cardboard. It was a great project, and I had a blast making it with her. You can see it here if you are interested:
http://www.snugglebuguniversity.blogspot.com/2012/10/pretend-princess-play.html
I LOVED a good cardboard box as a kid.. so many possibilities! This place looks like heaven!