Normally I’d never show expensive step up from cardboard as an excellent idea for kids; a cool idea maybe, but while I like cardboard toys and furniture pieces because they’re easily recycled and low-impact, your kids may have just as much fun with a large appliance box, but at a less expensive cost. Although, that said, it does make a fab toy as shown in Il posto dei giochi below…

This is an imaginative take on a basic corrugated pressboard sheet. The sheet, transformed by Enzo Mari into a “defensive” wall to protect a place to play has ten different decorative and punched panels of various shapes and decorations. There are yellow circles like the sun, blue waves like the sea, a wall made of red bricks, and kids make up the rules for this play item.

I really like this item, although for the budget minded green parent, I think it best serves as a very good idea. There’s no stopping you and your kids from grabbing a large sheet of cardboard or even wood from the local hardware shop and going nuts with some nice zero-voc paints and design ideas. Excellent inspiration.

[images via Corraini]