Ahoy matey! Pirates are a huge hit in our house. What’s not to love about those scurvy, pegged-legged, parrot wearing bandits of the sea, right? You know what else is always a huge hit? Cardboard boxes. I’ve seen some really cool projects make with nothing more than a cardboard box and some tape, but as you know, I’m not that crafty, so I really like when I can find toys that capture the spirit of the craft without actually making me have to work for it. This Calafante Pirate Ship from CreativeToyShop.com is one of those great products.

The ship comes in a flat box with easy-to-follow (seriously, they’re actually easy to figure out) instructions on how to assemble it. I wanted Jake to color it first because it’s a little easier to work with when it’s flat, in my opinion. But he was really anxious to start playing, so he kind of scribbled on some gray and asked me to put it together. He did color the sails though (I did the lovely striped one). Less than five minutes later, it was fully assembled. Jake’s are a six-year-pld’s version of the skull and crossbones…I think.

Once together, the Pirate Ship is actually really sturdy. It’s made from thick, corrugated cardboard, so it holds up really well. Jake played with it with some of his action figures, and it’s still standing after being tossed around the high seas (err, his messy bedroom floor). I am thinking of tracing the sails and making more, they would be really easy to switch out if you wanted a little more variety with them. The little floor lifts out easily, so you can store tiny pirates in there if you wanted to. As for decorating, the options are pretty much limitless. We used crayons, but you could get really creative and use paints, markers, or even stickers.

The Calafante Pirate Ship is a fun activity to enjoy during the cold winter months. The fact that you can design it however you want before playing with it doubles its value. It’s an art project and a toy!