Last month we discussed some fun ideas to use corrugated packaging to entertain children. Cardboard boxes, especially large ones, are wonderful “toys” for children and we’ve been sent in a few ideas from customers and colleagues of how their children have been using their cardboard boxes for fun during their time at home. Here are a select few and the best ways to create them.

Cardboard TV

A cardboard TV isn’t just fun to make, it also provides hours of entertainment after it’s been made while your children give you the latest shows and news, directed and performed by themselves. Get your large cardboard box, or join two boxes together for bigger children, turn it inside out and glue down the top and bottom. Cut your TV screen in the front and a door in the side so the children can get in and out. Decorate by adding buttons and an antennae.

Miniature Cardboard Car Wash

This is a fun way to use a cardboard shoe box or another small rectangle box, also a great way to reuse any empty toilet rolls. Make the ‘brushes’ on the toilet rolls by cutting thick strips of coloured paper and cutting lines into them to back the brush effect. The perfect cardboard car wash for children’s toy cars and trucks.

Cardboard Marble Run

Marble runs have always been a firm favourite with young and old alike, you need a long strip on cardboard that has sides, though you may need to trim these down. Stick cups to the bottom to collect the marbles in and use coloured lolly sticks to stick on the side throughout the run in different combinations to make a fun marble run. Add an extra bit of fun by naming the cups and deciding which one is going to collect more marbles.

Cardboard Treasure Box

A cardboard treasure box is not only great fun to make but also a great storage solution for any stray toys. The bottom half of the treasure box is simple enough, however the top will need to be folded every two to three inches to get a good curve in the lid and stick semi circles to the curl either using tape or a hot glue gun. Then have fun decorating – either using a traditional treasure chest style or go crazy with some stick on glitter and add-ons.

Cardboard Lemonade Stand

If you’ve got a little entrepreneur in your midst, then helping them make a cardboard lemonade stand might just be their first venture into the world of business. You will need some strong cardboard, double wall ideally to create the base. You will also need to make sure that the cardboard is level to avoid any tilting. Stick your pieces of cardboard together using tape or a hot glue gun and decorate in appropriate colours. Don’t like lemonade? Make it into any stand that your child prefers, or a window to a mini shop and let them sell your own things back to you!

Cardboard Kitchen

A cardboard kitchen is another creative cardboard idea that will keep your children busy  for hours even after it has been made.

Surprisingly easy to put together, the key to a good cardboard kitchen is the decoration. You can use coloured tape to create the drawers or oven door to ensure a straight line and you can cut out round cardboard shapes and paint them for the dials and rings of the oven.

Either use light plastic items to stack on top or better yet – create your own cardboard plates to go with it.

Cardboard Bed

Cardboard beds for your dolls and teddies are great creative role play ideas and really easy to make. You need to cut lines in the cardboard to slot them together, but you can make them as big and interesting as you want. Leave them plain for a rustic look or paint and decorate them to fit in with the child’s room theme – or to make them look like mini replicas of their own bed.

Cardboard Train

Go one up on the basic cardboard car and creative a cardboard train instead! Better for the outside due to the size, so make sure it’s a nice day. It may be bigger but it’s even easier to make. Just add wheels to empty cardboard boxes for the carriages and create a triangle shape box for the front with a tube for a vintage train theme.