Via Berry Sweet Baby
I've always loved the book, "This is Not a Box," by Antoinette Portis because of how it encourages children to use their imagination to play. I remember vividly the joy of playing with a giant refrigerator box as a child with friends. We hid in it. We made it into a fort. We rolled down hills in it--which may have been ill advised, but it was a ton of fun! Looking back, I'm sure our parents probably shook their heads watching us play, thinking about all of the money that they had spent on pricey toys that we would quickly abandon, but how this huge cardboard box could keep us happy all day long.
The giant cardboard box never goes out of style, you may even see adults getting in on the fun. If you're not expecting any large deliveries, think about ordering one from stores like Office Depot, Lowe's, or Uline. For under $10, you may be able to help your family create some wonderful memories. Here are five suggestions to help your family have a ton of fun with a giant cardboard box.
Travel Through Space
Encourage your kids to use their imagination and maybe even sneak in a science lesson with this super cool, kid-sized rocket! Here is a tutorial to help you make a rocket like this using supplies that are almost entirely recycled from your home including baskets, yogurt cups, foil,and soda caps.
Via Fun at Home With Kids
Make Game Time a BIG Deal (while improving math skills)
I don’t know that I would call these boxes "giant," but they certainly look like a fun way to upgrade game time. These giant dice are easy to build with contact paper, black construction paper, tape and glue. Parents.com features a quick tutorial to help you build them and also provides examples of games that you can play with your kids to help them improve their addition, subtraction, and multiplication skills. No one needs to know that this is an educational activity, but you!
Via Parents.com[/caption]
Create a Reading Nook
Fashion a space that is comfortable with good lighting where your kids can curl up and enjoy a book. A cool, "kids only" space will help remove any stigma that your child may associate with reading like homework or chores. Make their space so special that going in to read feels like a treat. Via Pinterest
Make the Backdrop for Your Own Movies
Okay, so you don’t have to go totally low-tech to enjoy cardboard boxes. In my experience, kids love seeing themselves on video. Encourage your kids to re-enact their favorite movies or to write their own scripts. They don’t have to be long, even two minute skits will help increase their confidence, creativity, and verbal skills. Once the script is written, work with your kids to build the perfect movie set using cardboard boxes. Depending on your child’s age and your tech-savvy, you can also use toys like action-figures and cars to make fun and easy stop motion animation videos.
Via CamilliaEngman.com
Go Into Business!
Remember how fun it was to play work? Before we knew about bills and rush hour traffic, right? Allowing your children to set up a shop though will teach them valuable teamwork skills and instill a sense of responsibility. Younger children may like to pretend they are running a bakery or a grocery store, while older children may actually be able to use this setup to start a lemonade stand, helping them learn math skills and the value of a dollar.Via iKatbag[/caption]
For more ideas and inspiration, head to Modernize.com.
This post was written by guest blogger, Danielle Hegedus.
Danielle Hegedus is a freelance writer based in Atlanta, GA where she currently writes Modernize and nurtures her obsession with HGTV and all things home design.
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