Cardboard Box Car
Physical DevelopmentExpressive Arts and DesignCommunication and LanguagePersonal, Social and Emotional Development
What you need
- a large cardboard box, big enough to sit in
- five lids from plastic tubs, for wheels and a steering wheel
- a cardboard tube or two for lights
- masking tape
- crayons
How to do it
- Fold the top flaps of the box inside and tape them down, so it's open at the top and your child can climb in.
- Let them tape on four tub lids as wheels, and one at the front as a steering wheel.
- Hand over the crayons for headlights, doors and anything else the car needs, and tape the tubes on as lights.
- Climb in and drive. Ask where they're going and what they can see out of the window.
Why it matters
A car they built is worth driving, and every lid and tube they tape on is their own decision about what a car needs.
What they're learning
- Joining with tape
- Tearing a strip and pressing it down so a wheel stays put.
- Planning a build
- Deciding what goes where before it's taped on.
- Pretend journeys
- Driving somewhere means telling you where and what happens on the way.
What to look for
Notice them adding something you didn't suggest, like a seatbelt or a boot.
A tip
Do any cutting yourself with grown-up scissors, and check the box has no staples before they climb in.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: tape on the wheels yourself and let them draw the lights and the doors
Harder: make a second vehicle for a soft toy, like a bus or a fire engine, and have a traffic jam
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Fine motor activities · Toddler activities with a cardboard box · Toddler activities with masking tape · Toddler activities with jar lids