5 Creative DIY Projects with Cardboard Boxes for Kids
For starters, upcycled cardboard is excellent for the environment! Reusing them at home for your kid’s crafts will be fun for them and teach them the importance of recycling.
Painting on cardboard is a terrific way for kids to develop their painting skills. You can also save a lot of money by having your children practice painting on cardboard instead of costly canvases.
Cardboard boxes come in various sizes from cereal boxes, paper rolls, and product packaging to enormous appliance box sets. We can make use of recycled materials while enhancing the kids’ creativity by imagining how to bring these DIY cardboard projects to life.
There are tons of easy cardboard painting and crafting activities good for kids aged 4 to 9. These are the kinds of activities you want your kids to engage in to distract them from using electronics. Plus, it helps them practice their focus, enhances their hand dexterity, and lets them imagine what they want to create and what colors to use.
So, bring out a dry brush, head out to a ventilated area in your home, apply the first coat to your cardboard, and let your kids’ imaginations run wild!
Here are some simple and easy DIY projects with cardboard boxes and craft ideas that both kids and adults will enjoy together!
Cardboard Animals
This type of cardboard activity is one of my favorites because it is simple, inexpensive, and suitable for children. The first step is to trace and cut out the animal shapes. Then paint them according to their animal color, or put attractive colored papers on top to make a pattern. Then, glue some googly eyes to bring it to life. You can also use these cute pieces for other cardboard photo projects, a patch for an imaginary animal box, or an adorable refrigerator magnet.
Check out more in our zoo animal crafts collection.
Cardboard House Collage
DIY projects with cardboard boxes can be a useful alternative if kids want to practice painting and coloring surfaces. These little houses made from cardboard cutouts are simple allowing kids to explore different color combinations and try different coloring materials like oil-based and spray paint. Remember to let the paint dry to prevent warping.
Cardboard Crowns
Pretend play is a big hit with kids! All you need are some acting skills and simple improvised accessories for any pretend roles. These little cute crowns and tiaras are ideal for a queen or princess Halloween costume, a birthday party, or simply because they aced school today. There are many different materials to work with from flowers and lace to recycled materials.
Cardboard Dollhouse
These Pop-up painted cardboard dollhouses are so innovative. These are designed and built out of cardboard boxes that you can tear apart, fold, disassemble, and take with you wherever you go like on a family vacation, to the park playdates, or even to parties! It is made out of big cardboard boxes from appliance packaging. Simply paint it and the rest is up to your kids’ imaginations.
It may come in different shapes and sizes, but these crafty toys last for weeks or even months when handled with care. It is an art project, and at the same time, it can be played with. It is an ideal toy for toddlers that are already used to having playmates to share it with.
Cardboard Nail Salon
With simply a cardboard box and a Sharpie, you can make a huge nail salon for your kids. This project would be ideal for a play date with girls or a birthday celebration played by boys or, toddlers, preschoolers, or older children!
Once you have your big appliance box, cut the sides of your cardboard box to dismantle the box and have all the sides of the box lay flat. Have the kids lay their hands on the blank box and trace their hands with a Sharpie. Draw out the nails, and they can begin painting the nails with their color of choice and embellish them with different crafty decors like glitter, colored paper cutouts, and crayons.
Children can gain a lot of cognitive exercises by discovering and exploring various art materials as they learn about movements and senses. Children are curious and love experimenting with different colors, textures, and art materials. These things aid in developing fine motor skills and cognitive capacities in toddlers. If you want to enhance these further, you may start introducing art to the kids using cardboard and painting as their main coloring activities. It is cheap, with plenty of accessible tutorials online, and budget-friendly.
