The tents are made from the half of a shallow white box like a letter-paper box. To make a tent, cut through each long side rim of your box as far as the top or bottom of the cover, as the case may be. Bend the box downward to each side of this cutting, making a tent roof, slanting to each side downward. (For cutting a tent, see [Diagram Three, E], page 171.)
You may have as many tents in your camp as you like. Perhaps your tin soldiers might like an encampment on the shores of Mirror Lake. Small oblong box covers will make smaller tents for these. When it is summer, maybe it would be nice, on some warm, sunny day, to take the tents outdoors under the trees on the lawn and make a really true camp on the really true grass, with real growing things for trees in a woods. Perhaps so!
Cut bits of twigs and use these for trees. Pebbles will help to make a rocky shore for a real water lake that is a shallow pie-plate filled with water. Its sides should be covered with moss or short grass. Of course, after playing out-of-doors with the camp buildings, you will have to pick them up, when playtime is over, for the cardboard tents will be spoiled if you let them stay out over night. I know it because I tried it! I had a really darling little doll and I let her stay out in a tent after my play was finished. It rained in the night and she was all spoiled—and I had to make a new tent, too. I think you’ll like to know about this so you won’t try it. It really is better to pick up after play, I think!
I made a grove of clothes-pin trees,
And had a splendid time with these!
My china rabbits ran in play
Beneath the trees the whole long day!
I made some little camp tents, too—
It was a jolly thing to do!
Some penny dolls a picnic laid