admin Moving to a new home is an exciting and stressful process at the same time, especially when it comes to families with kids. If you’re having difficulty adjusting to significant life changes, imagine what it must be like for the little ones. One of the ways to make the moving process easier on your children is to make them a part of it. Involve them in every step of the move because they can be more helpful than you’d think. And after the move, you can always reward them for their help by giving the used packing supplies a new purpose. You’d be surprised how many incredible toys you can make from cardboard moving boxes.
Turning a stressful experience into a fun time
The change of familiar surroundings, school, friends, and many other instances can often affect the child’s behaviour and health. Thus, providing comfort to our kids is very important in such moments, whether with simple talk, support, or spoiling them with gifts. Luckily, you won’t have to spend a dime on toys when it comes to the post-moving process. You will have an abundance of perfect material to make some yourself – cardboard boxes.
Musical instruments
The best thing about cardboard is that you can cut it very easily, shaping it into basically anything. Therefore, making a “band” has never been easier. If your kids ever wanted a guitar, give them the pleasure of making some with them. Or make a whole bunch of other band instruments, including the piano. After everything is done, find nice karaoke music and rehearse. Such simple creative effort will make priceless moments of fun for your family.
Building a fortress with your kids
Making a cardboard box fortress for your children is the best purpose you can give to your used packing supplies. And it can’t be easier to make. They are excellent for battle simulations, playing hide and seek, or even using them as obstacles in some games. They are easy to move and ‘build,’ and even a child can do it. All you need it’s a bit of creativity, and you’ll make the best entertainment area for your kids they’ll never want to leave.
Robots and knight
If you have young boys, you know that robots and knights provide an unlimited source of interest for kids. They are easy to make, they are “boxy,” and they have timeless designs. All you need to have for a robot are scissors, two different cardboard boxes, and a permanent marker. The kids can do the job on their own with your simple guidance.
When it comes to making armour, you can do it similarly. However, a knight also requires a matching paper helmet, a shield, and a sword. You can easily find the designs and patterns for them online. And don’t worry; even if you’re not very creative when it comes to styling the knight, you can be sure your kids will love it.
Real size playhouse
Every girl dreams of having a dollhouse she gets to take care of someday. Still, such a dollhouse takes up a lot of space and can be pretty costly. But with all that post-relocation moving boxes lying around, you can easily find other ways to make them useful. As an alternative, making a real-size playhouse from cardboard boxes will thrill your children, especially if you allow them to participate in the project. You can paint, decorate and even use collage or fabric to make the “house” cosy and fun. Letting your kids express their imaginative side will improve their moods and help them develop some crafting skills they could use in the future.
TV or a doll theater
You can make plenty of toys from cardboard moving boxes, but usually, the kids enjoy the simple ones the most. Putting a lot of effort into making something from relatively fragile material is never smart because it will break quickly. When it comes to expendable materials like paper, going for simple use is usually the best option. With only two boxes, you can make a fake TV or a doll theatre where the kids get to express their acting skills. These boxes will serve as a medium to release the talented artistic side of your loved ones. Assigning them with a short play to perform is a great way to have bonding family moments.
Toy oven and kitchen elements
What better way to interest your kids in useful life skills than to make them a mini kitchen! The boxes are already the right shape and size to supplement the kitchen appliances and other elements. All you need to do is to cut some doors on them and draw the buttons and commands. Playing kitchen or restaurant can help your children learn valuable life skills like counting, having a business, and responsibility.
Cars, fortresses, houses, and instruments are only some of the unlimited types of toys you can make from cardboard moving boxes with just a little bit of creativity
Paper mache toys
Parents with skilful hands in DIY endeavours know that using the paper mache technique with cardboard can make any toy for your kids. It is a great way to ‘sculpt’ any shape you want, including fun hats and crowns. But unlike the cardboard toys mentioned above that you can assemble with duct tape, scissors, and pen, paper mache is a more demanding project. For it, you will need to get your hands dirtier. However, don’t let it scare you—all the “ingredients” for this technique you unquestionably have in your craft box.
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Conclusion
The times are rapidly changing, and the things we experienced in our childhood are beyond comparison with the options kids have today. Still, with many options, kids get bored fast, and that short obsession with a new toy can cost us a lot of money. Being a parent requires a lot of resourcefulness and creativity, so finding ways to give quality moments to our beloved offspring is crucial.
Needless to say that there are plenty of toys you can make from cardboard moving boxes and other recycling materials. Such projects hardly require any investment but your time. But what matters the most is not the toy itself but doing those fun projects with your kids. Working together, your little ones will learn about responsibility, how to be eco-friendly, recycle, and get to express their artistic side.
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