Block Castles
Tell kids to build their own version of a castle in the block area.

Castle Block Set
It’s easy to create castle pieces to use in your block area that will keep your kids entertained throughout this theme. Here are some ideas:

• Create a castle ?terrace? pattern out of cardboard. Paint each one and tape them onto the top portion of a block. Make a number of these so that kids can create a series of walls.
• Gather square saltine-style cracker boxes and cut these in half using craft scissors or an exacto knife. Keep the bottom portion, discard the rest. Then cut a checkered pattern around the top to create a watchtower. You can do the same with toilet paper tubes or small boxes in other shapes and sizes
• Glue cone-shaped Dixie-style cups onto toilet paper tubes to create smaller spires.
• Cut a “U” shape from the top of an oatmeal cylinder, then turn it upside down so that it looks like a grain silo with a door on the bottom. Add a terrace pattern along the top if you’d like. Then paint the outside in castle-themed colors.
• Make a drawbridge by cutting a 6 inch by 10 inch piece of cardboard. Use a nail or needle to poke holes on each side at one end of the cardboard panel. Thread a piece of string or yarn through each hole and tape it, leaving about 2 feet of string coming out the other end. Build this into structures as a drawbridge, pulling on the strings to raise or lower it.
• Create ladders by gluing twigs or toothpicks between two popsicle sticks.
• Make suspension bridges by taping a bunch of popsicle sticks between two pieces of string. (See ‘Suspension Bridges’ under construction/fine motor for more detailed instructions.)
• Print the rock wall pattern linked here and tape it onto the side of your blocks to create blocks that look like the wall of an ancient castle.
• Cut long strips of blue fabric about 6-8 inches wide to use as a pretend moat for your castle.

Thrones
Bring in some sheets of fancy style fabric, along with old bows, ribbon or lace. The fabric sheets should be roughly 1 to 2 feet in diameter. Have kids build a chair-like throne with the blocks, fitting the size of a small doll or play people. Drape the cloth over it and use the bows, ribbon, and lace to decorate the throne so that it’s befitting of a king or queen. Then plop your dolls or play people down on their throne and let kids’ imagination take it from there.

Coliseum
Many old kingdoms built coliseums for sport similar to the stadiums we have today, only for jousting or gladiator games. Tell your kids to build a coliseum out of blocks, creating a wall around the ring in the middle and building up stands or structures outside of it. Add some play people and horses or other animals, and let the games begin!

Royal Stables
Bring in a few handfuls of straw (or lacking that, pluck some straw-like weeds from outside). Set the straw out in your block area along with play horses, and tell kids to build the royal stables where they house all the King’s horses.