Like most parents, I sometimes wonder why I bother buying toys when my children are perfectly happy to play with a cardboard box. KidsCraft took a cue from the experts and designed a line of playhouses that is a perfect for busy kids (and a dream for busy moms who need a quick and easy summer activity or rainy day project). The KidsCraft Creation Cottage and Shuttle Imagination let kids build and decorate their own play house and even though they are made out of cardboard, they are durable enough to last for weeks of imaginative play.

KidsCraft Imagination Shuttle

We recently moved our family out of state and I knew I had better have something great up my sleeves if I wanted my kids to stay safely occupied while I unpacked. I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to review the Imagination Shuttle and set it aside to keep my kids busy as soon as we arrived at the new house.

Easy Assembly for Busy Moms

I am completely inept at anything that requires more than basic assembly so I was a little worried about how I would pull off setting up the Imagination Shuttle. My kids knew it was waiting for them though so they’ve been asking me to set it up about every 5 minutes since we arrived and I figured I would give it a shot. The instructions included photos of each step and were very easy to follow, even for me. Full assembly took about 15 minutes and was completed with no casualties other than a small cardboard cut on my finger that was a result of trying to rush through it so I could run and find out why my 2 year old was being suspiciously quiet.

Hands-On Fun for Kids

We’ve been without TV for a week now since we saw little reason to hook it up in the new house right away and I love the way my kids have used their imaginations to create fun and educational activities. I did nothing other than set up the Imagination Shuttle. I wanted to see what they would do with it. I got paints out when my 6 year old asked for them and handed my 2 year old a marker after he tried to get one for himself and just sat back and watched the magic happen. My 6 year old immediately set to work creating a plan for the entire project. My 4 year old, ever a dreamer, began playing inside the shuttle, not caring one bit that it hadn’t been decorated. My 2 year old, eager to help, grabbed a marker and started to color over everything that my 6 year old painted.

Pretend Play with a Twist

Pretend play activities have always been some of my favorite, both as a preschool teacher and as a mom. While I do like many pretend play toys that can be purchased, I find that kids quickly become bored with them unless they do something to change things up. My kids have always enjoyed making forts to playing in plastic playhouses, so I love the fact that they can create their own playhouse with the KidsCraft line. These playhouses are durable enough to last until a child grows bored with them and much more affordable than most of the permanent play structures available in stores. Kids can put add their own touch to the playhouse and double their play options by giving them a large art project and pretend play activity at the same time.

Enter to Win

One lucky winner will receive their choice of either the Creation Cottage or Shuttle Imagination.  This giveaway is open to the U.S. and will end on April 16, 2010.

Enter the giveaway by going to www.kidscraftusa.com. Make a comment on this post and share with us one interesting thing you learned about KidsCraft.

Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions for a complete list of our contest and giveaway rules.

In compliance with the new FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given an Imagination Shuttle to review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.

Additional Entries

After having commented on this post, you can earn additional entries by doing any of the following. Make a separate comment on this post for each extra entry you qualify for.

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