A fairytale adventure just waiting to begin

Fairytales have endured for centuries becuase they have the ability to transport us away from our everyday lives and into a magical world unlike anything we experience ourselves.  A world of dragons and wizards, princesses and fairy godmothers, evil queens and astounding castles.

They also carry with them cautionary messages that make them relateable even amongst their magic and wonder. A world of magic that we can relate to? No wonder kids and adults alike love fairytales so much!

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in a castle? Would your castle have sprawling rooms and twisting corridors? Or would it be modern and elegant, with clean lines? Would you have staff to help you keep it all in order?  A lavish garden, a tower for star gazing, a deep moat for protection?  This fun activity is the perfect opportunity to create the castle of your dreams, right in your own home!

And the best part of all is that you can use whatever recyclables you have available at home! Bring your castle to life with paint, glitter, tape and a healthy dash of creativity!

What you'll need

• Toilet paper or paper towel rolls
• Tissue or small cardboard box
• Paper
• Paint
• Glitter
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Glue or tape

How to make them

1.  Use your paint to paint your paper rolls and cardboard box.  You may need to give your rolls and box a few layers, so let the first one dry before going back over it.

2.  When painting your final layer of paint on your rolls or box, sprinkle over some glitter before the paint is fully dry.

3.  Add windows, doors and other details to your castle using different colour paints.

4.  Paint a piece of paper to create the cone roofs for your turrets. Create texture by mixing two different colours as you paint, and add glitter before the paint dries if you like!

5.  Once your paper is dry, cut out circles, then cut each in half. Fold the half circles around to form cones, and glue to the tops of your turrets.

6.  Assemble your castle together using glue or tape. Add any final decorative touches or additional buildings you like.

Once your castle is ready, use it as the backdrop in your own fairytale retelling, or create your own fairytale!  My boys decided an ogre lived in our castle, with a princess trapped in the dungeon.  I tried to convince them she could save herself, but I'm not sure they bought it!

You can find this activity and more in our Fairytale Friends book boxes.  Do you have a fairytale lover who'd love to make their own castle?  Tag us in at @inspirebookbox on Facebook and Instagram and show us your kids creations!

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