5 Fun And Easy Kiddie Activities With Cartons

Plan to wean your child from the TV and tablet? Here are super fun crafts to try with the kids.

Kiddie activities with cartons are the most effective and cheapest tool to hone your children’s creativity.

This is especially useful if you are trying to wean your children off the TV and digital devices such as tablets.

Here’s sharing with you 5 fun kiddie activities with cartons, taken from the book 365 Activities for Toddlers by Di Hodges.

1. Magazine Picture Puzzles

Create simple jigsaw puzzles with your children using large magazine pictures.

Materials

Large magazine pictures
Scissors
Glue
Thick pieces of cartons

Photo: iStock

Steps

Look through magazines with your children and let them choose pictures.
Cut out the pictures for them.
Assist them to apply the glue on the back of the pictures.
Stick the pictures onto the carton.
When the glue is dry, cut the picture into puzzle shapes.
Begin with four or five puzzle pieces. As they master their skill, cut the pictures into more pieces.
Store and label the puzzles in resealable plastic bags.

2. Hopping-fun Footprints

This activity presents a fun way to help teach your children to differentiate between right and left.

It also requires your child to cut out shapes that helps increase their focus and attention. While opening and closing the scissors, your child is working those hand muscles while developing fine motor skills.

Photo: iStock

Materials

Carton
Pens
Scissors
Masking tape

Steps

Have your child stand on a piece of carton.
Draw around the left foot and cut the footprint out. Use this shape as a template and make at least 10 more.
Do the same with the right foot.
Give your children cutting practice by letting them help you cut out the shapes.
Tape the feet onto the floor in a walking pattern around the house and have your children follow them. You can even make it a treasure hunt with a surprise at the end.
Vary the difficulty by placing the footprints further apart or by having a hopping section.

3. Think Out of The Box Fun

A creative way to have lots of good cheap fun without stressing out over how to do-it-yourself, parents!

Photo: iStock

Materials

Carton boxes of all sizes
Props, such as cardboard, cylinders, broom handles, sheets, rugs
Masking tape

Steps

Let your kids use their imaginations with the boxes, making tunnels, cubbies, towers and other creations.
When they have lost interest, save the boxes to make box cars or enlist their help to tidy up their toys and store some away in boxes.

Here’s a quick guide on how you can DIY a cool cardboard car with your child.

Photo: iStock

4. Dress-ups

Dressing up is an important part of young children’s play. Provide a variety of dressing-up clothes for them to keep them happy for hours.

Materials

Carton
Old magazines
Scissors
Glue
Variety of dressing-up clothes and props

Steps

Have your children decorate a box of carton to contain items needed for the dressing-up.
Collect clothes and props to place in the box.

The dressing-up box may consist of necklaces, bangles, clip-on earrings, shorts, t-shirts, coats. trousers, ties, belts, dresses, skirts, lacy nighties, petticoats, pantyhose, stockings, tights, shoes, boots, handbags, purses, wallets, scarves, shawls, and plastic eyeglasses.

5. Kitchen Play

Let your toddlers play make-believe with your kitchen gadgets.

Materials

Unbreakable bowls, spoons, ladles, baking trays, muffin tins, measuring spoons, plastic jugs and cups
Playdough or water
Food colouring
Large plastic sheet or plastic tablecloth
Carton box
Felt pen
Biscuit rack

Ideas

Add a few drops of food colouring to the water in a bowl. Let them measure, stir, pour and mix it.
Spread the plastic sheet on the ground, give the children some play dough and the kitchen items. Let them cook.
A carton box turned on its side makes a great pretend stove. Draw some hotplates on the top with a felt pen and put a plastic biscuit rack inside for the oven shelves.

So, ditch the tablet and let your children play and use their imaginations with these fun activities.

ALSO READ: Fun Family-friendly Board Games To Play During The #StayHome School Holidays

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Written by

Brenda Loo

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