11 ways to keep kids entertained with cardboard boxes
Self-isolated and struggling for new ways to keep the kids entertained? Before you pop the next batch of cardboard into the recycling bin, here’s some great toys and games to keep kids entertained – made with cardboard boxes.
Marble maze
You can make this one as easy or challenging as you like. Take a cardboard lid and stick some sturdy strips of cardboard to it to make a maze. Add a marble and away you go.
A handy one to keep up your sleeve for the next dress-up party. Cut the bottom out of a cardboard box. Paint it red and add firetruck detailing and wheels (plastic lids or plates would work well for these). Add a couple of shoulder straps using some old fabric or string and it’s ready to go.
This golf is a great way to keep kids entertained! Remove the bottom from a cardboard box and cut a few small arches in the base. Decorate the box, adding a score above each hole. Use a plastic putter to knock a soft ball through the holes and score the points.
This one will have so many uses – at home, in the garden and even in the car. Remove the bottom of the box and cut arches out of two sides. Decorate however you like. You could also attach half a cardboard lid to one side to act as a storage box.
A great backdrop can inspire all kinds of creative play. If it is made from cardboard, you can change them over easily. Try this jungle theme, or maybe a city scape – flatten some large cardboard boxes and cut out a skyline. Paint it black and add some small yellow rectangles for windows. Prop it against the wall. Easy!
Use this photo as inspiration to make your own mini trees – great for hanging jewellery. Cut two tree shapes and cut a line through the trunk almost to the top of one. Slide it over the other tree shape.
All cats love boxes. Give your furry friend one of its own. Cut some holes in a variety of boxes and stack them as you please. You can even put their soft cat bed on the top!
This gorgeous dolls house is much simpler than it looks. Cut around 10cm off the front of a tall cardboard box and use sturdy cardboard to build the rooms. Use paint or wallpaper samples to decorate each room and introduce the dolls to their new home – they’ll be very impressed!
