10 Ways to Turn Cardboard Boxes Into Endless Fun

Published:
May 13, 2021

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Contributor:
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Do you have piles of cardboard boxes lying around the house? Show these projects to the kids and help them turn those cardboard boxes into endless fun.

cardboard boxes

Conveyer Belt Cinema

A box forms the main structure of a super fun cinema. Help your kids create a small-scale conveyor belt and then put their imagination to good use creating a background image. You can download printables from KiwiCo for the background and still image for your cinema.

You only need a small list of materials and your kids will have fun for hours creating and playing with their conveyor belt cinema.

conveyer belt cinema

Box Toss

Inspired by the game of Corn Hole, this simple tossing contest uses recycled cardboard boxes. You can enlist your older kids to create this game for your younger kids to practice their large motor skills.

Here’s a list of the materials you’ll need to create a box toss game:

  • Empty crates or cardboard boxes
  • Drinking glass or other traceable round object
  • Pen or pencil
  • Craft knife
  • Acrylic paints

Find pictures and complete directions at KiwiCo

DIY Guitar

Your kids ages 3-8 will love to build their own DIY Guitar with an empty cardboard box.

In addition to the cardboard box, all you need are some rubber bands, a craft tube, and a parent to cut some holes out of the box. You can add pizzazz to your DIY Guitar with some acrylic paint, card stock, and colorful pom poms. This is a great activity for your littlest learners.

Marble Maze

Who doesn’t love playing with marble mazes? They are so addicting! But what’s even more fun is creating your own.

Using an empty box and some plastic straws, your kids ages 5-11 can create a marble maze. They’ll need a bit of help to cut out some small holes in the maze.

But other than that, they’ll be able to design the maze themselves! What fun.

marble run

Mini Trampoline

Get ready for some sneaky science fun with this Mini Trampoline project. Even your teens will get a kick out of this project. Using a cardboard box, they’ll learn about inertia.

You’ll need a few more items to create this project, but in the end, you’ll have a hands-on science activity for the whole family. Using your smartphone, you’ll be able to watch the event play back in slow motion to analyze the process.

Here’s the materials list:

  • Box
  • 4 dowels
  • 4 rubber bands
  • Pantyhose
  • Scissors
  • Sequins
  • Golf ball
  • smartphone

Pretend Cash Register

Young kids love playing pretend. Help your littlest kids turn an empty box into a pretend cash register. You can download a cash register printable from KiwiCo to get started.

Your kids can color the printable before you attach it to the cardboard box. Then, help them create some play money to use as they enjoy some imaginative play.

Sewing Box

Your upper elementary or middle school kids may enjoy using an empty crate or box to create some sort of basket to hold their crafting supplies. By using glue, fabric, paper, and other items, your kids can turn their box from boring into cute and functional.

Cardboard Castle

Turn some empty cardboard boxes into a castle with a drawbridge! Your design can be simple or complex. Invite some friends over to help make designs of their own.

Kids ages 5-16 will love this project that only requires empty boxes, scissors, string or wire, and paints.

Boxed Succulent Garden

Your crafty kids will love this inspirational boxed succulent garden.

succulent garden

Using paint, airdry clay, and felt, your kids and teens can create a magical and unique indoor garden. You can even add fairy lights for some extra sparkle.

Mini Foosball

And finally, you can create a Mini Foosball game out of a cardboard box. Best of all, it’s portable!

This project requires a few more materials, plus a bit of patience from the younger crowd. Kids ages 9-16 can make this, but of course, they might need some help from mom or dad to use the utility knife.

Check out the complete materials list plus instructions at KiwiCo.

cardboard boxes