For The Love Of Boxes

Image courtesy of The caterpillar years 

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​Let’s not deny it, cardboard boxes are fun. I believe as kids we all played with boxes, my parents played with boxes, myself, my husband and now our children play with boxes. Well, no one is an exception.  I think we can safely attest to the fact that once upon a time you may have given or received a really cool toy. Once that toy was open, you went straight for the box and played with that box for several hours, days or even longer!

Cardboard boxes are fantastic toys.  They don’t require an extra cost unless you are purposely buying a cardboard box, they are endless hours of fun, and you can use them as they are or transform them into something amazing.  Either way, cardboard boxes allow your imagination to take flight.  The best part, when you are done with it, you can just take it down and recycle it – temporary clutter, I can live with that!

Here are some of my favorite ideas for cardboard boxes:

Sometimes you don’t have to do anything with a box and it’s already fun.  My girls love to just grab an empty diaper or pull-up box, drag it to where I am (usually the kitchen) and sit in it.  They’ll also grab whatever they are in the mood for, sometimes it’s a toy, sometimes it’s a book and they will just play pretend.  So simple and fun.
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When I have some time, the other thing that the girls love is to be pushed up and down our hallways in their boxes.  It is good exercise for me and the girls to get a laugh.  K will also push E around they spend lots of sister time laughing.  The only thing you need is a box and a floor with minimal friction, ceramic floors or well-waxed wood floors are perfect for that!

​Image courtesy of www.Asdagoodliving.co.uk

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I wish I remembered this fun little hack before I let E play with markers or anything that you can write with for that matter.  I lovingly call her my walking tornado and my walls and furniture have fallen prey to marks all over the place.  Luckily, for the most part, everything is washable but the upholstery took a little bit of a beating (good thing it’s in their art room).  This is such a great idea to give kids hours of coloring fun and keep the mess contained.  My only recommendation is depending on what you give them to draw with, you might need a smock or put them in clothes that you don’t mind dirtying.
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Using boxes as they are is fine and dandy but you may decide to transform the boxes into something more.  If that’s the case, you are probably going to need some basic supplies: an exact-o-knife, scissors, a pencil/pen, a glue gun, and packing tape (lots and lots of it).  Something that you’ll also water to consider is the size of the box as well as the quality of the box – you want something that can hold up a little rough play!

​If you are looking at this photo and wondering what is going on, don’t worry, the kid in there is not in any danger and very much enjoying this moment.  This was a robot costume made from a diaper box that K wanted.  We wrapped it with packing paper that I had from my shipments and then let K design it any way she wanted.  Since she didn’t want her head covered, we just cut a head hole for her but you can opt to use another box for the head if you wish.  You can also cut paper tubing and wrapping paper tubing if it is soft to make the arms and legs.

As for what this picture is all about, K is pretending to be a turtle and the box is her shell and at this moment, she is trying to hide.  I was out teaching a class when this happened so when hubby sent me a video with her explanation, I couldn’t help but laugh.

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​A while ago, hubby showed me a video of people running around a track in these Mario Go Kart costumes.  At the time, I was shaking my head but now as I sit down and write this, I’ve rethought it.  Too bad I can’t seem to find it or I would share it with you so that you could be entertained.  This would be a very awesome activity for children and a great way to expend some energy on a nice day.  Kids could design their own wearable race car/plane costume and have a fun time zipping around. Don’t have a track nearby, design a course in your own backyard!

You could do it as simple as this family and just keep the box as is with some embellishments and attach some string for straps.  If you are looking to do a little more work, check out these links from Today’s Parent for instructions.
Cardboard airplane (https://www.todaysparent.com/family/crafts/cardboard-airplane/)
Cardboard race car (https://www.todaysparent.com/family/crafts/cardboard-race-car/)
By the way, I’m totally loving the stroller cars!  You could also race alongside the kids for a good workout!

​I’ve seen this concept several times on Pinterest, This particular one comes from here and it’s a really cute idea.  Add some movie-time snacks and you have absolutely transformed the experience.  I’ve seen some very simple designs and some very elaborate ones, but with a few additions, the box is now a car.  Thirty Handmade Days has some cool-looking printable car parts for those who want to make it look more authentic.

I think that this would be a fantastic idea for a movie night with family and friends or for a birthday party on a summer’s night and the customized “license plate” will ensure that nobody loses their car.  A movie is about an hour and a bit so it might be helpful to add some cushions and blankets to create extra comfort.

This isn’t just an outdoor thing, I absolutely think it would be great indoors as well.  The key is to have a group of cars so maybe a sleepover or if you have a larger family.  I could so totally see myself doing this with my girls while we watch a family movie with my three peas in a pod in their cars and hubby and I all cozy behind them on the sofa.

Image courtesy of My baby doo. 

Image courtesy of The Imagination Tree

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​Saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a great idea.  You can build a number of scenarios in this box and make use of any toys existing in your home.  I have seen train tracks as you see here, a farm scene, and a city scene with roads for cars.

For this to work, you’d need a long and somewhat wide box in to be able to draw a decent amount of scenery. Your child may also want to sit in it while they play, so you certainly want to take that into consideration for space.  What I like about this idea is the easy storage: after playing, simply store it under your child’s bed or under the sofa or storage cabinet or toss it.

​My girls love to imitate me when I’m in the kitchen. They use the other counter opposite me as their kitchen space. Grandma’s house already has a play kitchen and we don’t live far away so I wouldn’t buy a permanent one. But one made of boxes is a fun idea that I’ve been thinking about for some time. It’s all about the execution…

Image courtesy of Blog spot 

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​While there are tons of ideas and guides on creating cardboard play kitchens, it’s a little lacking for workshop benches. And I’m not sure why that is. It seems fair that children would want to copy their parents working with tools. I do think that it is possible to make one from cardboard. The one you see above comes from Estefi Machado. If you come across other designs for a cardboard workbench, I’d love to know!

I love all the ideas outlined above, although there is something even more magical about being able to disappear and play inside the box. It would be like having a tree house or one of those plastic playhouses inside your home!

 This one comes from Cornerstone Confessions. Wouldn’t it be great to have dress-up costumes to go with it too?

​This gingerbread house comes from Sheena from Keeper of the Cheerios Blog is so different and I love how whimsical it is.  Of course, you can design any type of house you wish, really, all the fun is inside the house J.

​If you are really good with geometry and math, you may want to model Project Little Smith’s play house.

Image courtesy of Mommy babble

​This idea would be a way to make playing shop a reality.  It can be a really fun bonding activity with your child as you decorate and design. You could do a number of different shops/stalls and it can be a simple one or very extensive like the one featured by Ikat Bag. I really love how she walks you step by step through how she created her shop and has pictures too. I’m a very visual learner 🙂

This would be a fun idea for bigger groups of kids. Children can grab their action figures or dolls and put on a show for each other or for their parents!
While this stage is quite elaborate in design, you could simply attach a curtain to a rod, and voila.

Instant theater! No matter what you ultimately decide to do with your cardboard boxes, may your child(ren)’s days be “board” out of their minds!
​Julie