Children, by nature, are curious and resourceful. So when they want to play, they’ll play, whether it's with a sophisticated toy or a piece of duct tape. They’ll also improvise and role-play, essentially amusing themselves for hours at a time.

That’s where you come in. Get in touch with your inner craftsman and build a dollhouse — or a barn or a country store — out of cardboard and some imagination. According to wikihow.com, it’s not difficult, and you can easily involve the grandchildren in the process.

First, find one or two cardboard boxes of at least 11½" by 9½"; a box cutter (obviously not one of the parts you’ll be sharing with the grandkids); glue; and small vials of paint, and paintbrushes.

Cut out one side of the box, creating a diorama of sorts. If you want a two-story edifice, glue the boxes together. Using the box cutter, cut out windows on the boxes. To create a door for the lower level, cut two lines that are parallel to the floor and another vertical one that attaches the two parallel cuts. Don’t cut a fourth line — you want a door that will swing open and closed, not another window.

Have the children paint the interior of the structure as if they were decorating it. Then, have them paint the exterior. Don't get hung up on what the colors should be. Let the youngsters use their imagination to create their vision of the structure.

From there, your cardboard creation can become anything they want it to be. If it becomes a dollhouse, add whatever figurines the youngsters have around. If they have no miniature furniture, no problem. Simply cut pictures of furniture and other household doodads out of a magazine and glue them to the inside. If the boxes are meant to be a barn, gather the animal miniatures tucked away in the toy chests. The country store can easily be stocked with various magazine photos of food and other knickknacks typically on display. Add a banner, made from whatever paper you have around the house, paint the store's name on it, and proudly hang it on the outside of the box.

With this level of creativity, you may be grooming the real-estate mogul of the next generation!