As summer draws to a close, I can’t help but remember long-ago summer days of discovery and play during my childhood. One of the things that made summers so special was how my Dad always invented things to keep us kids from driving Mom crazy. Three children under ten were undoubtedly a handful for her, with our petty squabbles and toys spread all over the house. Consequently, we were always encouraged to play outdoors whenever possible, which didn’t bother us. The outdoors was where we could be wild.
One time, Dad got the idea to build us a tower of giant stacked wooden spools from the power company. We would climb on them. And a few had little openings cut into the centers so we could crawl inside and hide. We loved our “spool house,” but it couldn’t handle the weight of three kids climbing all over it and all the other neighborhood kids who were drawn to it. So, Dad had to take it down. Then, he came up with a far simpler idea to entertain us. He brought three large cardboard refrigerator boxes for us to do whatever we wished.
We were ecstatic! We collected scissors and tape and dragged the boxes to the back patio, where we quickly began designing our “box houses.” What fun we had defining our little hide-away spaces. We cut windows in the sides to peek at one another and let the breeze flow through. And, of course, we decorated the exteriors with our crayons. If one of us felt grumpy, we could retreat inside our box house and close the flaps, yelling “Keep Out” if we wanted to be alone. But often, we left our doors open and visited each other’s “home.” I remember that I loved lying inside my box and reading a book or singing to myself. I felt such a peace inside the box.
When interest in our box houses waned, we found other uses. There was a large hill at the back of our property, and we used the flattened boxes to slide down the grassy hill – a way to go sledding in summer! One of my brothers had the bright idea to take a box, open both ends and, crawl inside, then thrust himself into the side, causing the container to tumble down the hill with him in it. The more this was done, the more the boxes broke down and began to lose their corners until they became shaped like giant toilet paper rolls. I wasn’t keen on this particular game, as it made me feel sick and dizzy. But apparently, some kids like that.
Though I now live in a big house with plenty of room, I still sometimes crave a quiet, secret get-away space – a place where I could go to create, dream, and nap – something like a studio space. For now, the basement has become my studio, and while that space serves my needs, I miss the sunlight and wish I had a flap to lift so I could look out on the world or allow bird and cricket songs to reach me.
Before we moved to our current home, I had these same longings and decided to do something about it. I built a “she shed” from found lumber, pallets, discarded windows, and sheets of tin. The result was a structure that would never pass any building code but nevertheless had an abundance of charm, light, and energy that inspired me. And I did manage to do a small amount of creating there, daydreaming, and even a few siestas. I don’t know if it’s true for all people, but in my experience, having a tiny place to call your own, where you can hide and make room for growing big ideas, is something that began in me when I was small and still a part of who I am. Perhaps it all started with that first box gifted to me by my Dad.
For this month’s Recommended Read, you can read about Jane Yolen’s picture book, What To Do with a Box. There, I have also provided links to websites with some genuinely awesome ideas for making things from boxes.
Little Seeds Read 