Five Ideas with a Cardboard Box: Summer Holiday Fun

Five Ideas with a Cardboard Box: Summer Holiday Fun

Many of the Aylesbury Box Company team have children or grandchildren to entertain over the summer holidays. The prospect of six weeks without a school run is a joy, but we all need cheap and simple ways to keep the youngsters occupied.

This is where the humble cardboard box comes into play. A cardboard box can be fashioned into all manner of toys to suit your child’s interests. Here are five ideas to get you started.

Model Transport

In its basic form, a large cardboard box (that a child can sit in) can become a car, boat, train or tractor. A few split pins and paper plates can create wheels, whilst a cardboard tube makes a good flag pole or oar. With the basic form created, hand over the paints or crayons and let them decorate.

Stack Them Up

If you have several cardboard boxes, they can be stacked up to build a robot, a scarecrow, an owl or any figurative creature of the imagination. In addition to paints, paper straws, old clothes and adhesive papers or fabrics can be used to add detail.

Game Changer

Cut a flattened cardboard box into a square and allow your children to create a board game. It could be based on popular games such as snakes and ladders, or they could come up with original ideas. Coins, nuts and bolts or buttons can be used as counters.

Alternatively, a collection of cardboard tubes can be arranged on a large cardboard sheet to make a marble run. Children can try varying the angle or using different materials to line the tubes, as these will alter the speed at which the marble travels.

Play Mats

A flattened cardboard box can also become the basis for imaginary play. From a townscape for cars to drive about, to a volcanic island for dinosaurs, or a jungle for fluffy toys to explore, a flat cardboard base provides a simple platform.

Fancy Dress

If your children enjoy dressing up, corrugated cardboard can easily be cut into a range of props. The children can have fun decorating. Below are three examples:

• Headwear – Cut a strip of cardboard, around an inch thick, to a length that will stretch around their head. When you have the right size, staple and use this as a basis for a crown, helmet or crazy hairdo.
• Armour – A large shield can be cut out of cardboard, with a strip attached to the back, so it can be lifted and held. They can then design their own Coat of Arms.
• Mermaid’s tail – cut out the shape, a little shorter than the distance from your child’s waist to feet length. Attach to a strip of fabric that can be tied around their waist. A tube of glitter can add the finishing touch to their decoration.

Corrugated cardboard is cheap, versatile and can provide hours of fun. If you haven’t any in the house, you may be able to pick up spare boxes from your local supermarket. We would love to see your creations, why not share them on Facebook with the tag @Aylesburybox?