Boxes and Imagination
These two children’s books are good examples of play, using imagination. Imagination is a critical element in play.
Not a Box
by Antoinette Portis
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis is about a rabbit with imagination. A cardboard box is not a box – it’s a spaceship, a race car, a robot or anything else the rabbit can playfully dream up! The book reminded me of our sofa that was not a sofa when my daughters were growing up. All the cushions were removable – they became a castle, a jumping place – everything that imagination could drum up!
Roxaboxen
by Alice McLerran
Another box story, Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran is about some imaginative children who lived in the desert. But the rocky hill, surrounded by sand, became a children’s town called Roxaboxen, created from old boxes and found stones. It started with houses, then a town hall was added, a bakery and other stores, cars from old wheels, horses from sticks and even a cemetery for a dead lizard. Everything was created from found items and the imagination of the children.
Amazing what imagination can do!
This article is part of our Newsletter 2025 Issue 3. See all articles.
