Cardboard Box Ideas for Kids

What kid doesn’t enjoy a good, old-fashioned cardboard box to play with? If they get a toy in a big box for Christmas, chances are they'll start playing with the box, am I right? It always makes me chuckle when I see this happening, but if you think about all the possibilities a cardboard box can offer a child it makes complete sense. It's the ultimate, unlimited, open-ended plaything sure to provide hours of amusement. For my kids, a cardboard box is like an entrance to a whole other world. It's a pirate ship, or a doctor's office for their dolls, or a race car! It fuels their imagination and allows them to learn through play. So if you have some extra cardboard boxes around (we live in an Amazon world, so I'm guessing most of us do), it's a great way to engage with your child and help spark their imaginations! Here are some of our tried and true cardboard box activities you can try with your preschooler at home.

1. Homemade Space Suit

We had a ton of fun with this one. My girls pretended they were Buzz Lightyear saving the galaxy and seeing how high they could soar while jumping on the bed! All you need is a boxcutter and some tape. You could even add some paint or markers to make buttons or add color to it. The possibilities are endless!

2. Build Go-Karts

My kids have been asking to do this for weeks. Keep the bottom of the box intact and have the top cut open. You can use extra cardboard to make and cut out some wheels and just tape or glue those to the sides of the car. You can do the same for a steering wheel and attach it to either end of the box. If you want to add some flare, paint the outside of the box to resemble a go-cart. And if you have enough kids and boxes, have one kid in each box (as the driver) and another pushing them and put on a go-kart race around the house!

3. Make a Zoo Train

This one can be extravagant or as simple as you'd like. You can cut out an engine, wheels, windows in the railcars, or even some train tracks. You could also use extra strips of cardboard to connect each railcar. We like to keep it easy and just line up a bunch of boxes and put all of their stuffed animals in the cars and pretend like they're traveling to the zoo.

4. Homemade Musical Instruments

This one is super fun! And again, has endless possibilities. We like making guitars, drums, keyboards, etc. and creating our own little rock band!

5. Box Coloring

This is one of our all-time favorites and we've been doing it since my oldest was a toddler! Simply grab a cardboard box and some crayons and let them go crazy! This could also be done with colored pencils, markers, or paint (depending on the level of mess you're okay with!).