Camp Papanan: Castles and Knights

So, we decided to make a cardboard castle earlier in the week.

My mom and I got a wee bit carried away.

The boys have gotten a ton of fun from the making of and playing with the castle, but I'm pretty sure that this Camp Papanan activity was more about us than them. (I regretfully admit that Dad found the two of us working on it with the boys nowhere in sight...ahem.)

Mom and I had many more ideas, add-ons, and mechanisms in mind, but we decided that we had better stop lest Dad stage a formal intervention and reclaim his office. We also ran out of packing tape.

Among the amenities: it has a working mailbox, a lock on the door, a holder for swords, a gargoyle, a ghost, front and back entrances, a moat, two flags, decorations, and a working portcullis with guard alligator that can be released to attack intruders. The ancient Besant family coat of arms (it's actually legitimate! from my mom's family name in England) hangs above the front door. 

The mailbox has certainly gotten the most use. William, who's obsessed with mailboxes this summer and checks the real one outdoors many times each day, has filled it and checked it hundreds of times already. Here he was about to post his jammies and swim trunks, naturally.

The boys also helped make themselves cardboard armor, shields, and swords. 

 Mom already had the hobby horses on hand. Every knight needs a noble steed!

 Lots of battles have ensued. 

 My fearsome warriors!

Cousin Micah (age 4) was with us on Wednesday and loved the castle too. Hilariously, he immediately declared that Papa was the castle ogre, and upon this pronouncement, all three boys took mere seconds to attack him in his chair. :)  Dad quickly played the part!