Creative Ways to Reuse Those Cardboard Boxes

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If your house is like mine, there’s no shortage of empty cardboard boxes lying around. They tend to stack up around the holidays, after late-night online shopping sessions, and if you have kids using disposable diapers. While recycling is always a great option, consider reusing boxes to give them another life. Young kids can get a lot of mileage out of a cardboard box. You’ve probably heard a parent or grandparent exclaim, “forget the toy, we should have just given them the box!” Here’s a few examples from our household to get your creative juices flowing!

Creative Ways to Reuse Cardboard Boxes

Effort level: Low

After checking that there’s no staples or sharp edges, throw that box on the floor and see what happens. Early walkers might use it like a push toy to help support their early steps. Older toddlers might sit inside and pretend it’s a clubhouse or car. Older kids might put it on their head and pretend to walk into walls.

Effort level: Medium

Use the cardboard box as a canvas for art activities. Grab some markers or crayons and let them go wild, or open it up and add some doodles for them to color and decorate. Another option is the big self-portrait, a grade school classic. Have your kid lie down on the flat cardboard and trace around their body. Have them decorate with a face and clothes to make a big portrait. A flattened box can also make a great surface to put a messy project on top of, to save your table surface from paint and dreaded glitter!

Effort level: High

If you have a little more time on your hands, and you enjoy arts and crafts, you can truly transform the humble cardboard box into a beloved play object. Check out this oven we made, complete with working oven door and stove knobs that turn! The kids played with it for almost a year before it bit the dust.

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