Make a space ship that goes to the moon, a castle, a pirate ship or even a ramp for racing cars – there’s ooodles of cardboard box crafts here for 2 and 3 year olds right up to school age children. Inspiration for rainy days, summer garden fun and encouraging pretend play…. all without getting the wallet out!
Fun Cardboard Crafts For Kids
Whether it’s a rainy day or just a great way to use up cardboard, these great ideas are so much. From boxes to toilet paper rolls, crab all the cardboard from the recycling bin. These fun cardboard box crafts are the best way to have fun in creative ways and practice fine motor skills. And the best part is the recycling of paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, and tons of boxes! Kids of all ages will love all of these fun crafts. Who knew playing with an empty box would end up being the perfect activity for kids.
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Fun Box Crafts For Kids
1. Sensory Box Play For 2 And 3 Year Olds
I just love these ideas- a shape box for disappearing toys, a ribbon box and sensory board. Just get out the duct tape and just see what happens!
via mericherry
2. Small World Sensory Boxes Activity
Learning about the world through small world sensory boxes. This luscious rainforest box is by crayonboxchronicles.
3. Diorama (Story Boxes) Craft
How cute! Mixed media art work is fantastic for helping develop your child’s creative side!.
via zingzingtree
4. Cardboard Yarn Fish Craft
Such a simple and quick glued and painted cardboard fish for the kids to yarn wrap and hang. This craft is so quick and fun they will want to make a shoal!
via TheCreativesHour
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5. Cardboard Box Aquarium Craft
A humble cardboard box becomes a gorgeous pretend play aquarium for kid-made Styrofoam fishes. The strips across the top of the box let the fish float from one side of the box to the other…. and sometimes race each other to the end!
via Mum’s Creative Cupboard
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6. Cardboard & Yarn Wrapped Bees Craft
Such a simple bug craft for kids – a gorgeous mix of cardboard and yarn wrapping.
via HousingAForest
7. DIY Free Lacing Bunny Card Template
Hand to eye coordination activities just got cuter!! Just glue some layers of cardboard together to create simple free lacing cards of any shape and character (free template for the bunny with the tutorial).
8. Simple Cardboard Play Ramp Craft
A go-to activity for 2 year olds – finding joy in the simple things. Like rolling toys down a cardboard ramp.
via kidsactivitiesblog
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9. Bankers Box House Cardboard Craft
Brilliant!! The textured pattern of the boxes really suit buildings – I want to make a whole town!
via zingzingtree
10. Duct Tape Hobby Horse Craft
From something a simple as cardboard boxes and duct tape the most wonderful pretend play toys can be realized. This gorgeous tutorial comes from Meri Cherry on Housing A Forest
11. Cardboard Pirate Ship Craft
A perfect craft for elemental age children – this cardboard pirate ship is a platform for imaginative play for pirates and pirate fairies alike!
via redtedart
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12. Toilet Roll Cardboard Planes Craft
The perfect DIY toy for the thrill-seeking hands of your little ones. Zoom! These toilet roll cardboard planes are the best.
via sunshinewhispers
13. Cardboard Box Fun Plane Craft
If you’ve moved recently or bought some new stuff then here’s a real fun idea for upcycling all those cardboard boxes for some pretend play fun. You can make cardboard planes!
via Hands On As We Grow
14. Shoe Box Bus Craft
Beep Beep! Just cover a shoebox in paper and it can be transformed into any toy – a bus, a truck and even a drum.
This gorgeous idea is by craftulate
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15. Shoebox Dollhouse Craft
What’s not to love about Cardboard dollhouses! visit your local shoe shop and ask for a few boxes if you don’t already have a stash at home, and just tape together to make a modern house, limited in stories only by the number of boxes you have!
See the craft tutorial on Bloomingcreativity
16. Alligator Affirmation Box Craft
Meet Cap, the Alligator Affirmation Box! Cap is no ordinary box, he’s an alligator! and inside his recycled scaly exterior holds loving and empowering words. Showing children love via crayonboxchronicles
17. Cardboard Box Castle Craft
A gorgeous box dwelling for toilet roll royalty. This cardboard castle is the coolest.
via snotty-noses
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18. Cardboard DIY Matching Pairs Game
The race is on to find the missing clown fish, but don’t wake the shark, or he will eat up your turn a simple fun free printable game, with a twist, glued to cardboard so your kids can play over and over and over and over again!
via handsonaswegrow
19. Summer Pirate Fun Craft
Make the port holes good and big so that wet spongy cannon balls can be thrown at the kids to keep them cool during hot summer days! Just imagine the giggles! This Pirate craft is the best.
Great fun via ourkidsthings
20. Cardboard Puppet Theatre Craft
Perfect for inviting friends around for some dramatic play. Shhhhh the show is about the start… with this awesome cardboard puppet theater.
via planetsmarty
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21. Shoebox Puppet Theatre Craft
The perfect little theatre for finger puppets and Polly Pockets!! Love this shoebox puppet theater.
via handmadecharlotte
22. Pretend Play Food Craft
With just some cardboard, tape, tissue paper and paint the kids will have great fun designing their own pizza for pretend play fun or just tricking hungry daddies! This pretend play food is so great.
via artsycraftsymom
23. Cardboard Pizza Oven Craft
AND then of course you will need a cardboard box oven in which to cook your fabulous pizza.
This beautifully simple one is from MadebyJoel
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24. Button House For Fairies Craft
Cut a few windows and doors in a little juice box and cover with buttons – fairies like buttons, bright and colorful ones! The fairies will love these cardboard houses.
via athomewithnatalie
25. Kid-Made Puppets Craft
Enlarge your children’s drawings and glue them to cardboard for some fun moveable puppets.
26. Shoe Tie Practice Board Activity
We’re learning to tie shoes in our house at the moment – Want to learn too? This shoe tie practice board will get you learning to tie your shoe in no time.
via Happy Hooligans
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27. Cardboard Box Telly Craft
A simple painted cardboard box with button remote control – why not let teddy read the news! Or you can be on the television with this cardboard television craft.
via mommysbundle
28. Cardboard Butterfly Wings Craft
Watch them fly from one side of the garden to the other, so cute, so fun, so pretty. Love these cardboard butterfly wings.
via FunAtHomeWithKids
29. Make A DIY Shape Sorter
In just 30mins you’ll have a homemade toy that is fun and full of learning opportunities for 2 and 3 year olds. Who wouldn’t love a DIY shape sorter?!
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30. Paint In A Box Craft Activity
AND sometimes it’s nice for the kids to be given the freedom to just paint in a box .. and themselves along with it haha!!
via simplefunforkids
31. Quiet Time With Stickers and A Box
OR just have some quiet time with some stickers and the contents of their art bin – love it!
via kitchenfloorcrafts
Time to become a cardboard box hoarder…. and get your crafty pants on!
More Cardboard Crafts & Recycling Fun From Kids Activities Blog
What cardboard box crafts have you tried? How did they turn out? Comment below and let us know, we’d love to hear from you!