It's Not Just a Cardboard Box

A cardboard box is a haven of possibilities.

1. Rocket Ship.

What you need:

Big Cardboard Box

Duct Tape

Bristol Board

Cheap Acrylic Paint and Brushes

Cheap Plastic Table Cover

Paint smocks or old clothes

Paper towels

Scissors

Steps:

a) Start by forming the basic rectangular shape, large enough to fit a small human inside. Be sure to leave the bottom section open to place over the little gremlin.

b) Cut a rectangular look-out hole for the small goblin to see out.

c) Use bristol board to form the pointy top.

d) Cut out silly pointy flaps for the sides of the ship.

e) Set up your space for small creatures to paint the rocket ship. Lay plastic tablecloth on the floor. Let little people pick the colors and paint their ship however they choose. Be prepared with paper towels and paint smocks or old clothes.

f) Let the rocket ship dry for a day.

g) Enjoy your tiny human ripping about in their awesome new toy.

2. Restaurant.

What you need:

Large Cardboard Box

Marker

Scissors

Snack

Toddlers

Steps:

a) Cut top flaps off the box.

b) Write the goblin's name on the box followed by "restaurant".

c) Place the toddler in the box. (The small creature will likely do this step for you.)

d) Give the small human a snack in the box.

e) Enjoy your new favorite restaurant.

This cardboard box restaurant is a particularly effective way to get food-resistant small humans to eat.

3. Racetrack/ Town Road.

We ended up with a whole village of buildings made of plastic. This seemed like a natural next step in the equation. Save yourself the money and DIY. You'll notice by my crappy houses, it requires minimal artistic skill- that's one of the glorious things about small children- they do not care if things are perfect.

What you need:

Big Cardboard Box

Cheap Acrylic Paint

Paint Brushes

Scissors

Steps:

a) Cut flaps off the box and cut down one corner.

b) Ideally and for best results, do one layer of white paint and allow to dry.

c) For the base, cover the entire surface with a mix of blue, yellow, and green paint (it's less boring to look at than a flat color).

d) Add the road, trees, and houses, or whatever you want in your town.

e) Allow to dry 24 hours.

f) Places buildings and vehicles around and on the play area.

4. Whatever other fun ideas you can think of. There are loads of other fun cardboard box ideas out there!

Have fun with the simple things in life.

Go hug your babies.