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Boxes, Boxes and Boxes!

So you may think there is nothing special about a box but really, has there ever been a more perfect toy for a child? Watching a child play with a box should convince you that kids don’t need elaborate lesson plans and expensive toys in order to learn. Sometimes all you need is….a box!

Some of the things kids pretend with a box…

Things to do with boxes:

Who’s in the Box?
 Gather three sturdy cardboard boxes – each large enough for a child to curl up inside. (Computer boxes are usually just right.) To play the game, designate one child to be IT. Ask the child who’s IT to close his eyes while three children climb into the boxes. Then have the child who’s IT open his eyes and ask questions of each child hiding to figure out their identities.

Developmentally: This type of activity is great because it helps children practice their reasoning skills. They have to ask questions to get information, which is great practice for reasoning and deductive skills needed in math and science. Here’re some questions kids could ask.

Are you a boy or a girl?
Are you wearing shorts or pants?
Do you have long hair or short?

Even if you only care for one or two children, you can still play this game. Pick toys, stuffed animals or household items to hide inside the box. Take turns being IT (IT is the person who gets to pick what goes in the box and answer your questions about what’s hidden in the box.) Ask questions like:

Can You?
Another great use for your boxes is to use them to review positional words by asking a child to get INSIDE a box, hop BESIDE a box, tiptoe AROUND a box, hold a box OVER their head, or hide BEHIND a box. There’s a really good book called “Inside, Outside, Upside Down” by Stan and Jan Berenstain that would go very well with this activity.

Developmentally: Oftentimes, caregivers do not think about the importance of positional words but we use them in an everyday context, “You have to stay beside me in the grocery store.” Children need to develop an understanding of what these words mean.

Tunnels
Open both ends of your boxes; then tape them together with packing tape to form a tunnel. If desired, cut a few peek-a-boo holes along the tunnel to let in light. Position the tunnel so that youngsters can crawl through it.

Developmentally: Children of all ages can practice their crawling skills with this activity. Crawling is very important, especially for preschoolers. Watch them as they crawl. They should be able to move both sides of their body simultaneously…in other words…move forward using their right arm and left leg, then their left arm and right leg. This is an important milestone in the development of their brain. It means that the brain has gained the ability to complete actions using both of its sides. In brain development terms…it’s “crossed the midline”.

Don’t Toss Those Paper Bags
 Open ten paper lunch bags or grocery bags, and stand them bottom-sides-up. Arrange the bags as you would the pins in a game of bowling. Then invite youngsters to take turns rolling a playground ball or tossing a beanbag as they attempt to knock over the bags.

Developmentally: Children feel a sense of accomplishment when they are able to able to knock the bags over. This is a great step in their physical development. Children who can accurately hit a target can participate later on in games at school like dodge ball, or organized sports.

Bag Building Blocks
 Make a set of outdoor building blocks from paper grocery bags. To make one block, open a grocery bag and stuff it full of crumpled newspaper. Then gently slide another grocery bag over the top of the filled bag. Seal the loose edge with a long strip of packing tape. A set of 10-20 bag blocks will keep youngsters busy building forts and fences, stacking towers, jumping over hurdles, and being generally creative.

Developmentally: What are the benefits to children playing with blocks? Well, they learn to balance and stack objects-which takes coordination of the eyes and hands. They also are learning about portions (how many blocks did it take to make a tower taller than the television?) which is useful for doing math.

The Magnet Box
 Using a shoebox with an attached lid, open the lid, draw a line down the center and write “Yes” on one side and “No” on the other. Insert a piece of cardboard in the box to divide it in half. In the box, place a small horseshoe magnet and various items that it will or will not attract. The child removes the objects from the box, then tests each item to see if the magnet will pick it up. If the object is attracted to the magnet, the child places it in the “Yes” side of the box. If not, the object goes in the “No” section.

Developmentally: Not only will this center teach your children about magnets, but it will also reinforce the words yes and no.

Parade Floats
 Set out several cardboard boxes to use for floats. Let your children decorate the boxes by coloring on designs with crayons, felt tip markers, or paint. If desired, provide children with seasonal shapes and crepe-paper streamers. Tie thick yarn handles to the fronts of the boxes. Place stuffed animals in the Parade Floats and pull them around the room.

Developmentally: Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do an activity like this. Allow the children to decorate as much (or as little) of the box as they want to. Doing decorating activities like this reinforces their knowledge or colors and it also strengthens the muscles in their hands.

Texture Box
 Set out a large appliance box that is open on one side. Cover the inside and outside walls of the box with materials of various textures such as sandpaper, foil, sponges, textured wallpaper, fake fur, fabric pieces and corrugated cardboard. The children use their hands to explore the walls of the box and ask them to describe the different textures.

Developmentally: Children are tactile learners. So it makes sense to give them things that have an interesting touch and feel. As children explore the texture box, make sure to give them words for what they are feeling: bumpy, smooth, rough, thick, thin, plush, rough, etc.

Color Parking
 Collect several different colors of toy cars. Find a large shallow box to use for a parking garage. In the bottom of the box, draw or glue paper rectangles in colors that match the cars. Cut a square opening in one side of the box for a door. Let your children take turns driving the cars into the garage and “parking” them on the matching-colored rectangles.

Developmentally: This is a good activity for toddlers who are just learning their colors. Give them four or five cars and ask the children if they can park the red car in the red space, green car in the green space, etc. What you will notice is that they may be able to do this very easily, but that if you ask them to tell you what color the car they are holding is, this is more difficult. Typically children gain recognition skills first, but recall takes a little longer.

Pumping Gas
 Use a medium-sized cardboard carton to make a gas pump. Cut a small hole in the side of the carton. Cut off three or four feet of the end of an old garden hose. Insert the cut end of the hose into the hole in the carton and tape it securely in place. Attach a pistol grip nozzle to the other end of the hose. Use felt tip markers to add desired “gas pump” details to the box. Let your children take turns using the gas pump to “fill up” toy vehicles.

Developmentally: Children really enjoy doing “grown up” tasks.

Car Wash
 Make a Car Wash by cutting off the top and bottom of a large cardboard appliance box, laying the box on the side, and then hanging a row of fabric strips from the ceiling across the midpoint. Reinforce the box by wrapping tape around its sides, if necessary. Let your children take turns riding trikes into and out of the Car Wash.

Stretching this Activity…

  • Tell your children a story about taking a car to a gas station. Include details about such things as pumping gas, adding oil, checking tires and washing windows.

  • You could also set up a pretend gas station convenience store. Let your children buy snack foods with pretend money.

    In the Doghouse
    Make a house for a toy dog by turning a cardboard carton upside down and cutting a large door in one side. Place the doghouse, along with the toy dog, on the floor. Let your children take turns playing with the dog, moving it in and out of its house. If desired, add a dog dish, and dog toys, such as a ball or a rawhide bone. There’re a couple of books that would go very well with this activity. “Don’t Be Afraid, Tommy” by Klaus Baumgart and “Elmo’s New Puppy” by Catherine Samuel (Sesame Street)

    Boxes for Jack
     Give each of your children a cardboard carton that has been opened at the top. Have your children decorate the insides and outsides of their boxes with crayons. When they have finished, let them climb inside their decorated cartons and pretend to be jack-in-the boxes.

    Stretching this activity….
    Here is a great rhyme to go with this activity,

    Jack in the box,
    Sit so still.
    Won’t you come out?
    Yes, I will!

    A Hoopla Game
    Fill a large, flat, cardboard box with newspaper or styrofoam then tape the lid on. Paint or cover the box with bright colors. Cut ten small holes in the box lid, leaving an even space between each hold. Gently press wooden clothes pegs into each hole. Write the numbers from 1 to 10 underneath each peg. Make rings by recycling old plastic tub lids. Simply cut out the center. The game is now ready to play.

    Developmentally: This type of activity is good practice for hand-eye coordination.

    Books to Continue the Activity
    Beryl’s Box by Lisa Taylor
    1993, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
    ISBN No. 0812016734
    Age Level 5-7 years old
    Summary: Despite having a room full of toys, Penelope finds playing with Beryl and her cardboard box an extraordinary adventure.

    Elmo’s New Puppy by Catherine Samuel
    Children’s Television Workshop, Sesame Street Puppets
    1998, Random House, New York
    ISBN No. 0375804501
    Age Level 4-7 years old
    Summary: Elmo wants a new puppy more than anything! But caring for a neighbor’s dog is a lot of work. Will Elmo still want a new puppy after this?

    Don’t Be Afraid, by Klaus Baumgart
    1998, Little Tiger Press
    ISBN No. 1888444320
    Age Level: 3-7 years old
    Summary: tommy, who is afraid of absolutely everything, deals with his fears by teaching his new puppy how to face all the things he himself is afraid of.

    Inside, Outside, Upside Down
    1968, Random House, Inc.
    Age Level: 2-5 years old
    Summary: Brother Bear hides in a box and Father Bear takes him on a trip to town.

    Thank you to Lisa Albert from the EPTSS Division for this month's activity!

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