Box House Build

What you need

• large box
• crayons
• tape
• tea towel

How to do it

1. Cut a door and a window into a large box and tape the cut edges down flat.
2. Let your toddler decorate the walls with crayons, drawing bricks, flowers or a door number.
3. Hang a tea towel over the window like a curtain and tape it in place.
4. Sit inside the house together and open and close the door and the curtain.
5. Add more crayon details over a few visits if the house stays out.

Why it matters

Deciding where a window, a door and a curtain go and making the marks themselves is real building and decorating, done at a scale they can climb inside. The box came from this week's delivery and folds flat for the recycling whenever the house comes down.

What they're learning

Focus & persistence

Deciding where each detail goes and drawing it in keeps them on a longer, real task.

Hand strength

Pressing crayon colour onto cardboard builds hand and finger strength.

Sorting

Deciding what belongs by the door and what belongs by the window is early categorising.

What to look for

Watch for them choosing where a detail goes before drawing it, rather than scribbling anywhere on the box.

A tip

Tape every cut edge down flat and check the box stands steady before they climb inside.

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