But what is guaranteed to make kids (of a certain age, at least) happy? The boxes -- especially the really big boxes (You know, like the one that held that appliance gift for Mom, for which she is pissed. Public Service Announcement: Gentlemen, if it plugs in, it's not a Christmas gift. At least, as far as most women are concerned. As far as I'm concerned, an iRoomba for hardwoods would be awesome ... but I'm a single bachelorette ... and it's not a household appliance, it's a robot! And robots are always cool. But I digress.)
Why are big boxes a hit? FORTS!
Who doesn't love making a fort or a treehouse
? Come on, you know you want to make one right now. Strip the pillows off the couch, push some furniture around, grab some sheets and blankets, grab a loved one or six, build and build, and then curl up inside and enjoy the coziness. Read a book, watch a movie on a laptop or mini TV, or play pretend. Why does building forts make us happy? Because it's all about adventure, imagination, and being literally constructive. It's hard to be grumpy when your brain is at work with inspiration and challenge and you have a final product (a safe, cozy shelter) to show for your efforts. And that coziness is key, too. It's like Temple Grandin's
squeeze machine -- building a fort can be like building ourselves a great big, private hug. This post inspired by Maru the cat, who clearly loves boxes for squeezing into and napping, or a good challenge, or a plain old dose of slip-n-slide silliness. Haven't seen Maru the cat? Here are some videos. (I promise, this blog will not be a rehashing of a bunch of viral cute-cat and silly-puppy videos.)
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