Check out these amazing and creative cardboard box crafts and activities are absolutely perfect for all ages. After checking out these ideas you will never throw out another cardboard box again!
I am so excited for this post! I love using cardboard for activities. It is incredibly versatile and absolutely free! I wrote this blog post thinking that I would add about 50+ ideas using cardboard boxes and I quickly realized that I would have to increase that number… by a lot!
There are just soooo many ways to use cardboard and I didn’t even include cardboard tubes in my list!?
I have organized this truly amazing list of cardboard box crafts and activities into 3 sections:
- Cardboard Box Arts & Crafts
- Boredom Busting Cardboard Box Activities
- Learning Activities using a Cardboard Box
RELATED… 65+ Toilet Paper Roll Activities and Crafts for Kids
Cardboard boxes make the BEST toys for kids! And this list will help you find all the best ideas to make the most your cardboard stash.
Looking for more crafts using other recycled items such as plastic bottles, paper or string? Check out:
Crafting with Recyclables: 10 Eco-Friendly Projects for Kids
WILL YOU TRY MAKING THESE CARDBOARD BOX CRAFTS WITH YOUR KIDS? PIN IT FOR LATER.
Amazing Cardboard Box Crafts for Kids
DIY Jet Pack Craft for Kids
Cardboard Box Castle Craft
Marble Run Craft for Kids
Cardboard Box Guitar Craft
Tissue Box Monster Craft
LEGO Cardboard Robot
DIY Cardboard Tent Craft
Dandelion Turtle Craft
Cardboard Box Robot Craft
Pipe Cleaner Rainbow Craft
Easy Fire Truck Craft for Kids
Cardboard Bicycle Craft
Pretend Play Cardboard Laptop Craft
Shaving Cream Sensory Play to Decorate the Cake – Days With Grey
Make a Cardboard Pizzeria – Handmade Charlotte
Art Studio in a Box – Fun Littles
A Simple and Beautiful Nature Craft – Little Pine Learners
Build Your Own Cardboard Castle Playhouse – There’s Just One Mommy
Make: Stacking Collage Cardboard Castles – Barley and Birch
Painting in a Box – Simple Fun for Kids
Giant Cardboard Insects Craft – La Maison De Loulou
Rainforest in a Box – Fun Littles
Foldable, Collapsible Cardboard Superhero Hideout – Pink Stripey Socks
How to Make a Cardboard Helmet for a Costume – There’s Just One Mommy
Cardboard Sculptures – Science Sparks
A Cardboard Box House – Say Yes
Throw Ball Splatter Painting by Blog Me Mom
Guitar Crafts for Kids by Fun Family Crafts
Butterfly Nature Craft – Early Years Outdoor
- Mermaid Tail Craft – All the Mumery
Recycled Cardboard Painted Sea Life – La Maison De Loulou
Recycled Cardboard Theatre – Make-it-Your-Own
Cardboard Cake Craft – Mama.Papa.Bubba
DIY Cardboard Box Dinosaur – hello, Wonderful
Cardboard Box Easel – Art Bar Blog
Truck Painting: Fun Art Activity for Toddler – Happily Ever Mom
Fun Cardboard Box Activities for Kids
- Tugging Box Fine Motor Activity – Messy Little Monsters
- Lipstick Board – Mom of the Galaxy
- Cardboard Box Marble Run – The Pinterested Parent
- Cash Register – The Maker Mum
- If I Built a House” Preschool STEM Activity – From Engineer to Stay at Home Mom
- Cardboard Car – Create_Make_and_Play
- Pipe Cleaner Designs Activity by Toddler at Play
- Cardboard Dinosaur – Recycled Craft DIY Toy for Kids – Chalk Academy
- Writing Stencil – Happy Salt Folk
- How to… Make A Cardboard Dolls House – Red Ted Art
- Tunnels and Streets by Celebrate Everyday with Me
- Build a Cardboard Box Slide – Everyday Best
- DIY Cardboard Space Shuttle + More Fun Space Activities for Kids – Mama Smiles
- Incredible Cardboard Play Kitchen – MamArt Rawane
- DIY Rainbow Tunnel – Playroom Stories
- DIY Kids LightBox | Cheap Light + Sensory Play Ideas – A Day in Your Shoes
- Construction Zone Sensory Bean Box for Toddlers and Preschoolers – Lorenay Lennox
- Chick Treehouse – Inspire My Play
- Cardboard Box Football or Soccer Themed Foosball Table – JDaniel4’s Mom
- DIY Cardboard Oven – Katy Ann pm
- CARDBOARD BOX BUS Craft – Rainy Day Mum
- DIY Washing Machine – Cardboard Kiddo
- Cardboard Treehouse – The Hustling Mama
- Simple DIY Cardboard Jetpacks – Fire Flies and Mud Pies
- DIY Cardboard Play Shop – Mama Smiles
- Cardboard Small World Set Up on Stairs – Create_Make_and_Play
- Cardboard Box TV – Zero Waste Step by Step
- Cardboard Box Paint and Wash with Water – Happy Toddler Playtime for Toddler Approved
- How to Make a DIY Pirate Ship – Red Ted Art
- SUN CARDBOARD MARBLE MAZE GAME – Teach Beside Me
- DIY Cardboard Screw Board – Simply Brea
- DIY Mini Travel Game – Marble Maze & Tic, Tac, Toe – Artsy Momma
- How to Make Skee Ball Game from Cardboard – Mom Brite
- Bunny Haircuts – Today Our Children
- DIY Cardboard Box Small World Play – Preschool Tool Kit
- Cardboard Box Tunnels – The Imagination Tree
- Cardboard Box Espresso Machine for Pretend Play – Woodlark
Learning Activities using Cardboard
- Upper and Lowercase Letter Matching with a Box – School Time Snippets
- Cardboard Ice Cream Counting – Mom of the Galaxy
- Recycled Colour Match – Cinta and Co.
- Wash the Socks – a Fine Motor Activity for Toddlers – Days With Grey
- ABC Box Stamping – Happy Toddler Playtime
- Aiming for Maths – Happy Salk Folk
- Shape Matching and Sequencing – Learn and Bloom
- Peter Rabbit Shape Matching Activity – School Time Snippets
- Tube Pattern Matching – Happy Toddler Playtime
- DIY Color Match Game – Learn by Play at Home
- Drive and Drop – Toddler Game at Home – Days With Grey
- DIY Shape Finders – Create_Make_and_Play
- Poker Chips and Cardboard Box – Happily Ever Mom
- 100 Counting Box – Happy Toddler Playtime
- Farm Animal Matching – All the Mumery
- Shape Matching Game by Diapers to Diplomas
- Cardboard Box Magnetic Tile Puzzles – Happy Toddler Playtime
- Flower Counting – MamArt Rawane
- DIY Ten Frame – Learn and Bloom
- DIY Ball Drop Box for Babies – Taming Little Monsters
- Letter Matching – 7 Days of Play
- DIY Baby Activity Box – Danya Banya
- Easy Book Drop Toddler Activity – Happy Toddler Playtime
- Fine Motor Play with Screws and Anchors – Simple Fun for Kids
- DIY Memory Board – Happy Toddler Playtime
- Busy Box – Learn with Luca
- MATCHING COLORS SENSORY BOX FOR TODDLERS – My Bored Toddler
- DIY Pom Pom Counting Board – 7 Days of Play
- Cardboard Magnetic Tile Puzzles – Cara_Florance
- 10 Learning Activites with a Cardboard Box – A Crafty Living
- Thread & Count – 7 Days of Play
- Cardboard Car Ramps and Tunnels for Kids – Toddler Approved
Age Suitability for Cardboard Box Crafts & Activities
These activities vary for toddlers aged children 2.5 years old and up. My kids are 5, 5 and 8 years old.
Mess Level
The mess level for this activity varies.
Difficulty to Create
Varies.
Skills Developed in these Cardboard Box Crafts & Activities
Language development, shape recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles that show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to finally share my new crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched July 1 at on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
WILL YOU TRY MAKING THESE CARDBOARD BOX CRAFTS & ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR KIDS? PIN IT FOR LATER.
