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Rainy Day Entertainment with Cardboard, a Nanny's Hero
by Nanny Vickie
In my oh-so-many years of working with children, one of the things I’ve learned to appreciate is cardboard, especially the kind that is clear of any labels, markings or holes.
Why? First off, children are fascinated with boxes. They see possibilities in these objects where most adults only see something that needs to be broken up and hauled off to the blue bin.
Cardboard can be used in amazing ways when properly motivated. Bored kids bouncing off the walls after a solid week of pouring rain gives plenty of motivation to your average adult. Whether it comes in the shape of an empty appliance box or pallet dividers for toilet paper stacks, cardboard can be used to create magical things in the eyes of a child.
Here are two simple favorites of mine.
Project # 1 – Automobile or train car
Age range – Toddler to age 3
Why toss out that box from Pampers or Huggies when you can easily turn it into an automobile or a train car for a toddler.
Materials/tools:
Diaper box (one per vehicle)
Box cutter (adult use only)
Permanent marker
Heavy duty packing tape
String, ribbon or yarn
Paints
Tear down the box flaps so it folds flat, open the end seam that is glued so the box becomes one flat piece.
Turn the printed/labeled side to the inside and re-glue or tape the box so that it is now an open rectangle with a clean cardboard surface to work with. Fold over the flaps to the inside and tape to the inside of the box (I recommend heavy duty clear packing tape, as it is faster and much cleaner) OR cut the bottom and top flaps completely off. (If you plan to store it flat and recycle the box very soon, cut off the flaps. If you want to keep it about the house for a few months, tape down the flaps as it adds to durability.)
Draw the headlights, car doors, brake lights, license plates, etc. (or train car items) on the plain cardboard surfaces. I use black permanent marker to draw the outlines and have the child paint their car using any washable paint. Additional fun can be had by “personalizing” their license plates.
Using braided yarn, ribbon, or heavy duty packing string (also braided), create looped “straps”. These straps should be securely attached by an adult to the longer sides of the box so that they will fit over the each of the child’s shoulders. Use the packing tape to affix the straps. Note: the box top should be level with the child’s upper waist area when the child’s arms are in the straps.
If desired, you can also cut a circular “steering wheel” that you affix to the inside/front of the car so your child can steer.
Then have them step inside the hollow box, excuse me, “car” and they can drive around the house to their hearts’ content. It’s an amazingly simple “craft” that gives toddlers a chance to use their imagination and is a relatively cheap item to replace when “loved” into the recycle bin.
Project # 2 – Cardboard Castle
Age range – Toddler to age 10+
This one takes a bit more planning and assembly on the part of the adult. But the hours of fun it provides and the large age range it entertains makes it worth the effort. Bonus: it folds flat for simple storage.
Materials/tools:
Very large sheets of clean flat cardboard all uniform in dimension (even numbers)
Box cutter (adult use only)
Single hole punch (adult or strong child)
Scissors
Permanent marker
Heavy duty packing tape
Packing string, curling ribbon or yarn
Paints or washable markers
When planning for this craft, I usually make several morning visits to my local Costco and head straight for their isle displaying the pallets of Kirkland toilet paper. I’ve discovered their cardboard sheets are the best for this project. Use only corrugated cardboard that is used in heavy duty box construction, not the thin type used in shoe boxes, etc.
Gather even numbers of these sheets, and try to get them home flat and undamaged, this includes denting. Keep these sheets stored upright in a clean dry area until you gather the amount you need. Do not allow the sheets to be walked upon or bent as this shortens the life of the “castle” once assembled.
How many sheets? Well, I’ve used as little as four sheets (for one or two small children or a toddler) and as many as ten sheets (for three children, age range 8 yrs. – 2 yrs.). I’d say between 6 and 8 is the best, depending on how many children will be using it and the desired height of the castle. It also depends on the size of the room the castle will be used in. The nice thing about even the 10 panel structure is that you can create any shaped building you like. From a circular “fort” to an L-shaped “house”.
If the castle is to be used mainly by older children, the walls will need to be taller and not as wide. Place the panels keeping the shorter part horizontal (you may need to add a couple of sheets to make the structure large enough). Keep window and doors in taller structures down to one per panel to aid in structural strength. The larger the hole, the weaker the panel.
If the children are smaller, use the wider part of the panel horizontally.
Now take the hole-punch and put four - six holes in identical spots on both side edges only. Keep them about 1/8th of an inch from the edge. The more holes, the more support for the walls.
Cut your string, ribbon or yarn into 10 inch lengths. These can be trimmed after castle completion. Warning – you’ll need a large open area for this part of the assembly.
Gather punched panels in pairs standing upright, and connect the pairs by inserting string/ribbon in one side of adjoining holes, one ribbon per set of holes. Do not tie tightly to the surface of cardboard as panels must open and close.
After all these pairs are joined, begin to join unattached sections to others in the same manner, holes paired up in the center. If you can manage, some of the already attached sections can be “folded accordion style” on attached yarn sections to give you more room. When completed, you should have a huge cardboard “corral”.
You’ll have figured out that all of the work mentioned above had to be done by adults or with the help of older children only.
Now comes the fun part for the kids. Design! The kids have fun deciding whether their creation is a fort, castle, cabin, etc. They then decide the shape of the windows and door for that type of building. I suggest drawing out several examples, keeping the sizes uniform.
For a castle, look at the types used in these structures. My kids’ favorites have been what they called “the archer’s cross” or a more church-like, three-sided window with a flat bottom and 2 sides that curve two a point at the top. For toddlers, circular cut-outs or simple shapes such as triangles, crescents and stars at varied heights and sizes are fun. Remember to keep the window size and amount to a manageable size, or the panels will sag.
Rectangles, windows with “hinges” (folds that stay attached to the box), “paned” windows (glass areas cut out leaving only window “panes” of cardboard) are also popular.
Door design is important. The doors get the most use and are the first things to be damaged. For smaller children, leaving an open hole as the door is best. Height of the door depends on if child is walking or crawling. For older children, a door that opens and closes (yes, and even bolts closed!) is important. The most popular design for older children is the arched double doors (looks very-castle like), and using spare cardboard after the windows are cut, a “bolt” can be attached with tape to the inside of the doors to “secure the castle”.
The “lock” is simply a large U-shape made from cardboard. Bend the last inch on each end of the cardboard and tape this 1-inch section to the inside of the door (two “U-locks” are needed for double doors). A long piece of cardboard that stretches long enough to slide through both “U locks” on the two sections of door is the “bolt”. Door knobs can also be fashioned the same way, or if you have spare empty spools of thread, knobs can be made by tying one spool on each side of a door.
Once again, only adults should cut and remove the cardboard for the doors and windows.
Now it’s time to decorate. Markers and paint are great for this. If more than one child is using the castle, have them each choose a panel. Their name should go on this panel, and it is for their use only to decorate as they choose. This helps keep the peace.
I’ve seen bricks sponged on, drawn or painted; silly slogans about superiority of the sexes (boys drool, girls rule), flowers, vines and shrubs carefully painted; curtains, framed portraits and fireplaces with mantles drawn lovingly on walls. Fabric can be cut to cover open “windows” and silk or paper flowers and grass can be glued to the walls. Toddler hand prints in paint, circles, scribbles, it all works! Using the imagination is all a part of the fun. Letting the kids create this play structure as they like it is part of the fun.
If a panel begins to sag, add an extra hole or two on the sides and tie with additional string or yarn or return to Costco and get another panel.
When playtime is done, fold the structure flat behind a door or in the garage. When the castle has seen the last of its usefulness, simply cut the yarn/string and recycle the cardboard.
These “castles” have been a happy part of many a rainy days’ imaginative play or even the center of the occasional sleepover for the children I’ve cared for over the years.
I hope you enjoy them as much as we have.
Nanny Vickie
