Low cost crafts: 6 creative ways to use cardboard

Cardboard town

The activity – What to Do With a Big Box? – Make a Town by Picklebums

In a nutshell – Nostalgic for these amazing car city carpets? Big, shallow boxes can serve the same purpose and our little architects even get a chance to come up with their own city layout. What’s more, there’s no need to worry about getting it dirty.

What you need –

• big, shallow box
• markers
• various small toys

Marble run

The activity – Make a Ball Maze Hand-Eye Coordination Game by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

In a nutshell – A very low-key version of the classic ball maze. You can finally make use of these toilet paper tubes piling up in the bathroom and kids get a chance to improve their eye-hand coordination.

What you need –

• a medium box
• cardboard tubes
• duct tape
• a bouncy ball

Cardboard camper

The activity – DIY Cardboard Camper Playhouse by The Merry Thought

In a nutshell – Don’t all kids love building forts? Now you can step up the game and make a full-on campervan! You’re in charge of the box cutter but leave the decoration to the little one’s imagination.

What you need –

• two large boxes
• box cutter
• duct tape
• paint and brush

Musical shakers

The activity – Simple Musical Shakers for Kids by Laughing Kids Learn

In a nutshell – A craft that’s all about making noise – every kid’s dream or what? Just stick colourful tape around toilet paper tubes, fill them with rice and let the musical fun commence.

What you need –

• cardboard tube
• tape
• rice

Pom pom drop

The activity – Pom Pom Drop Activity for Toddlers by Laughing Kids Learn

In a nutshell – Here’s something simple for the smallest ones and their fine motor skills. Tape a tube on the wall and let toddlers drop pompoms or other small objects through it. It’s wonderful to observe how genuinely curious and amazed they will be seeing the objects disappear for a while and the ‘magically’ land on the floor.

What you need –

• cardboard tubes
• pompoms
• tape
• container

Box aquarium

The activity – Wall Hanging Box Aquarium by Made By Joel

In a nutshell – A real life aquarium might be a bit of a stretch, but these cardboard fish aren’t a bad substitute for those animal-mad kids. Cutting these small shapes serves as a great fine motor skill development exercise.

What you need –

• cardboard
• buttons
• thread
• paint and/or markers