One of the few highlights in our house lately is getting a package! Which means we have quite a few boxes laying around. Here are some simple things we've made with the boxes which has the bonus of being an activity to create it (the older kids help) and then can be easily moved around inside or outside to play with.
Bowling alley This one is fully credited to my 8 year old who came up with this idea. She and my 5 year old decorated this box, found our bowling pins and used our hallway as a bowling alley. We used a white board to take score and have been going back to this one a couple times a week. If you don't have pins, you can use any plastic cups you have around. When it is just my 2 year old and I, we use pull back cars to get the pins down (or just kick them down if you are in that kind of mood!).
We are going on a drive! My 5 year old loved making this one for my 2 year old. We took a box and I cut a hole on top just big enough to fit a match box car. Then gave my 5 year old some shiny tape and had him tape some "roads." We then found a bunch of cars and my 2 year old drives the car along the tape until it gets into the hole. Then she lifts up the box and does it all over again.
Got Oatmeal? This one took less than 5 minutes to make and my 2 year old played with it for about 15 minutes. I call that a win! I took an empty oatmeal container, poked some different size holes on top to fit a marker, crayon and pencil. I gave her a bin filled with different shaped pens, markers and crayons and dropped till she stopped. She loved to shake the container when she had them filled and then dump them all out again.
Stuffed Animal House My 8 year old loved making this one. She needed some help cutting out the windows but besides that she made the rest. Then my 2 year old decorated it with help from her siblings. You can use whatever you have laying around, stickers, old decorations etc. She loves putting her lovies to sleep in their "house" before she goes to bed.
