Fun in the Sun #6: The Citadel Eco-Friendly Castle from Green Town Toys {Review & Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Linda!}

At some point there must be an age that children reach when they stop being amazed and thrilled by cardboard boxes, right? I, for one, don't see a box and feel the extreme desire to examine it, push it around, climb inside and then attempt to come up with new ways to play with it.

But maybe that's just me?

As for my kids, cardboard is fantastic. It's wonderful! It's the best thing ever! Forget whatever toy that came inside, they just want to play with the box.

Eventually though, the flimsy cardboard rips or the bottom falls out or the girls realize that, in fact, they can put their creativity towards something that isn't just a box.

But... what if it isn't? What happens when one of the market leaders in innovative and eco-friendly corrugated products designs and manufactures children’s products that turn cardboard into something imaginative, innovative and amazingly fun? That's just what Green Town Toys want you to find out!

With an extensive in-house manufacturing capability, Green Town Toys is able to ensure prompt delivery, competitive pricing, and unparalleled customer service when it comes to their sustainable, entertaining products.

Designed and manufactured in the U.S.A., these aren't just large boxes with window holes cut out, these are 100% recyclable kid-focused and eco-friendly structures that are built, decorated, and enjoyed for quite some time.

When The Citadel arrived, we were all pretty eager to see how a pile of corrugated cardboard could turn into something that would provide hours of endless fun all summer long.

At first glance I have to admit that I was slightly concerned that the assembly process was going to be a bit complicated. However, after browsing through the well-labeled, easy-to-follow instructions that Green Town Toy had sent, I realized that the series of notches and slots really all fit together like puzzle pieces.

After around a half hour, I hadn't used a single tool but had slid all of the pieces into place and had securely latched every wall or tower...

...and we stepped back to find 54.5" x 54.5" of The Citadel just calling out to come and play.

Available in kraft or white, the details that Green Town Toys put into The Citadel are easily evident and impressive. From the windows to the towers to the walkways that connect them, everywhere I looked there was another aspect that I hadn't seen before made out of this durable, sturdy cardboard.

Big Sister E and Little Sister B couldn't wait to try it out immediately!


There is more than enough room for both of them inside The Citadel and, in fact, it could easily hold another friend or two as well.

But along with how cool they thought it was to have their very own castle, the blank canvas of the vast expanse of white walls make this a toy that continues to change and bring new excitement each day.

We have drawn with crayons and markers...

We have painted...

And much more. We've added stickers, chalk, glued-on paper... there really isn't much that you can't do to decorate a toy like this.

Both girls love to hang out in The Citadel and do anything from make up elaborate adventures about princesses and knights...

(This particular tale involved a dragon and police officer who were friends)

...to just hanging out with a pile of books. It's like combining a toy, an art project, a stage, and a playhouse all in one!

The Citadel can also be collapsed down for easy storage simply by removing the walkways and floors in the towers and folding the entire thing in on itself. This way, if you need more space or just want to move it out for a while, you don't have to worry about figuring out how to deal with something so large.

In addition, when The Citadel (or any of Green Town Toys' products) has finally seen its last day, you'll know that all adhesives and inks used are water-based, non-toxic, and 100% recyclable. The entire thing can just go straight into the recycle bin! However, due to how well-made and strong that these are, I have a feeling that it will hold up to quite a bit more play around here before that happens.

Retailing for $44.79, The Citadel can be purchased directly from Green Town Toys and makes a wonderful summer toy to continually entertain time and time again. Want an even better deal? Enter the coupon code celebratesummer and receive free shipping on your purchase of any of these amazing toys!

And, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to see just how much fun pretend play in a castle can be, because...

One lucky person will win The Citadel from Green Town Toys!

To enter to win: Visit Green Town Toys and tell me another of their great products that you would like to own.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry if you head over to A Mom's Balancing Act and enter to win The Citadel from Green Town Toys over there as well!
1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Green Town Toys on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the Fun in the Sun giveaways (Fun in the Sun giveaways ONLY) running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Fun in the Sun 6: WIN The Citadel castle from @GreenTownToys for imaginative fun! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/jYWBTE #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you have our Fun in the Sun button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on June 24th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to contiguous U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to Green Town Toys for providing The Citadel for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.