Creative Play for Kids

How to Make a Cardboard Castle for Pretend Play

May 1, 2024

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Here’s how to make a cardboard castle for pretend play quicker and easier than you thought possible. You’ll want a cardboard box, cardboard tubes, a glue gun, and some paint sticks.

Updated June 2024

If you are in need of a fun and engaging activity for your kids, look no further. Simply get out the cardboard boxes, glue guns, and Kwik Stix.

Have your kids build a cardboard castle for hours of pretend play, we guarantee it!

These castles are so fun to make, and they are completely unique every time we make one.

Want to make your own cardboard castle for pretend play? Here are some tips and instructions to get you started.

How to Make a Cardboard Castle

(Feel free to adapt these instructions for other buildings!)

MATERIALS

Cardboard box, tubes, and extra cardboard pieces
Scissors
Utility knife (adult use only)
Kwik Stix paint sticks
Glue gun**
Markers

**Glue guns make cardboard construction much easier and faster and so we recommend using one for this project. Here are our glue gun tips:

Talk about safety before you start working
Keep a bowl of ice water handy
Consider a cool glue gun

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut out doors and windows
First, have the child draw the doors and windows on the box with a marker. Then, (adult job) use the utility knife to cut along their lines to cut out the doors and windows.

Note: If you want a drawbridge, keep the door attached at the bottom. You can even add string at each side for the authentic drawbridge look.
Color your cardboard castle
Use the paint sticks to color and decorate your cardboard castle box as well as the cardboard tubes and additional cardboard pieces.

Simply color your cardboard pieces with the paint sticks and they’re ready to assemble and play with.

You can, of course, use regular tempera paint or markers to color and decorate your castle. We just love paint sticks for this type of project.
Glue on the towers
Glue the colored towers to the corners of the castle box using the glue gun.
Create castle crenelations
Use scissors to cut two strips of crenelation out of a one strip of colored cardboard. Kind of like cutting zigzag down the center of the cardboard strip, only instead of zigzag, cut the teeth of the crenelation.

Glue strips of castle crenelation along the top sides of the castle. Then cut crenelated pieces out of colored toilet paper rolls and glue them onto the tops of the towers.
Add castle details
Add more castle details such as flags, stonework, moats, towers, trees, ramps, gardens, and/or furniture.
Play!
Play with your new cardboard castle! Bring in the animal and people figurines for pretend play.