Building the Castle

We are very fortunate to live in a community with generous spirit.  A family that use to come to StrongStart, whose child is now in grade 2, owns the local Sears store.  They have been generous in saving me boxes for our projects this school year.  Well they topped their generosity by delivering the boxes needed for the castle right to our school’s front doors.
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And we were excitedly welcome them and watched the two delivery men carry the boxes into the school.

Some were even dressed to show their enthusiasm.
        
We didn’t have time to put the walls up that morning so after school I asked a father who was waiting for his older child to give me a hand.  He helped move the boxes, slit them open and patiently waited for me to decide which way they were to go.

The big chair was added for a throne, the slide is the tower and a table was set with silver goblets and jewels ready for the next morning.
       
The top of the walls were notched to make a crenelated wall.  An opening was added to move in and out.
                   
During the morning, as the families arrived, many ideas were being discussed for what was needed in the castle.  So we started a list.  This may be our guide in the direction we go in the next couple of weeks.

One family decided that the castle needed a fire place.  The mom cut bricks in different lengths and showed the children how to pattern them in an arch.  The child went to the art area and found tissue paper for the fire.
           
And the play continued all around.