Spring is here, and with it comes {usually! hopefully?} lots of rain. Our forecast for the entire week is rain and thunderstorms, and with 3 kids 5 and under that is going to mean lots of looooooooong days indoors. I’m always looking for indoor boredom busters for rainy days – fun things that help keep the kids {and me!} occupied, the time pass, and everyone’s sanity intact.
Inspiration recently came during our afternoon story time. We were reading my childhood copy of Christina Katerina and the Box, a book about a girl transforming a refrigerator box into a myriad of wonderful inventions. I loved this book as a kid, and it is extremely gratifying to me that my kids love it too.
A cardboard box can be a world of creative opportunity for kids. When we get our monthly subscribe and save boxes of diapers, wipes, and toilet paper; my kids keep the boxes for days. They pretend they are riding in boats. They poke holes and color on them making “projects.” A box becomes their bed, or a train car, or one block in a tall tower.
Boxes are almost always more interesting than the toys that come in them, aren’t they?
For a few years now I’ve seen darling castles and play houses made out of boxes on Pinterest. I’m not the craftiest mom in the world, but I think it would be fun and worth the effort to make a simpler one.
To help you push through your rainy spring days with littles, here’s a list of fun {and mostly simple!} activities you can do with plain old cardboard boxes. Check out Christina Katerina {and the equally adorable Not a Box} from your local library, grab a few boxes, and have graham crackers for a “cardboard box” snack- I guarantee the day will fly and be FUN!
- Build this maze-like fort from Smile and Wave, complete with sun roofs and a tower.
- Climb inside an extra-large box and draw a town with roads and lego houses, via Pickle Bums.
- Wanting to make your own cardboard playhouse? This round-up of 26 awesome ideas from Playtivities is sure to help you find the perfect option.
- Get out all of your kids’ BIG ENERGY with a stair slide, via The Contemplative Creative.
- Aspiring pilot in your house? They will love Repeat Crafter Me’s cardboard airplane.
- Race hot wheel cars with these fun lanes, via Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls.
- Or make a car they can actually ride in, following JB Mum of One’s tutorial.
- Rub Some Dirt on It shows you how to set up a simple train with a boxcar for each child.
- Kids will love imaginary blast-off’s in Create in the Chaos’ rocket ship.
- Create a mini-village with a tiny house for each child, via Pink Sugar Land. Adorable!
Or, if you are lacking creative energy, stick your toddler in a large box with crayons and markers and let them go to town. They will have just as much fun as if you’d put a fancy craft together!
If you’re looking for more great ideas to keep littles entertained on rainy days {or any day really}, I highly recommend Trish Kuffner’s Busy Books. They are jam packed with all kinds of learning fun and play inspiration.
How do you pass rainy days in your home?
Rachel
Latest posts by Rachel (see all)
- The Beginner’s Guide to Making Homemade Popsicles - November 25, 2024
- The Ultra-Frugal Elementary Homeschool - November 25, 2024
- 4 Awesome Ways to Bless a New Mom - November 25, 2024
- Cardboard Inspiration for Rainy Days - November 25, 2024
- 5 Fun Construction Books for Kids - November 25, 2024
Leave a Reply