Creative Toyshop sells a variety of items, but the core of their inventory is Young Learners games and Calafant products.  Calafant is a pretty interesting company.  They make cardboard toys.  That sounds a little lame, I know, but when you see them, you realize they aren’t.

These are the classic “cardboard box fort” or “cardboard box castle” or “cardboard box pirate ship” taken to another level.  The blank cardboard constructions go together without glue or scissors.  (That alone is a plus, in my book.  I don’t end up with glue and chopped-up paper all over my house!)  But the “blank slate” allows your children to exercise their creativity as they decorate their castles, or ships, or playhouses as they see fit.

Small “buildings” are available, like the Rosegarden Palace my daughters received.  They had a blast decorating this, and actually “played” together without fighting for several hours during the process (even though I think Ariel didn’t let Sophia do most of the actual coloring).  They were thrilled with the results!  (That is my daughters’ actual castle you see in the picture at left.  They hadn’t attached the back half yet, though.)

Even smaller items are available, like airplanes and buses.  You can even get these in party packs.

Best yet, though, you can get “life-size” buildings – large enough for your children to climb into.  Decorating these should keep the kids busy for a while!  And if they’re like the smaller items, you should be able to fold them up for easy storage.

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$7.99-$79.99

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Disclosure: Creative Toyshop sent us the Rosegarden Palace to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions are entirely my own, and those of my family.