Since the start of lockdown we have been putting aside some of our recycling to use in different craft activities and his week we been busy using up some cereal boxes and toilet rolls.

Car Park 

Our first craft activity of the week saw us make a car park. Both of my boys are car mad so this was a popular activity for both of them and once completed they both enjoyed playing together (for a while at least).

All you will need for this is

• A cereal box
• 4 toilet roll inserts
• Paint
• Masking tape
• Scissors

First up we cut one of the boxes in half to make the two floors of the car park, cutting a square into one of them for the ramp to go up through.

 

Then each of the boys painted one of the ‘floors’ each and then the toilet rolls.

 

We then allowed it all to dry before assembling it together later that day.

First we secured the toilet rolls to each corner of the bottom floor (the one without the hole). For this we used masking tape to tape the roll to the edge of the inside (making the tape double sided). We also put some tape inside of the roll leaving some hanging out of the bottom to tape to the floor.

Using more masking tape we then secured the top of the car park and added the ramp (made from some of the cereal box). You could try using glue to secure the toilet rolls and floors together instead of masking tape.

Finally we made markings on the top to make the car park spaces, after trying to cut thin strips of masking tape and finding all the scissors wanted to do was stick to the tape I gave up and used a black pen for the remaining spaces.  The car park was then ready to be enjoyed.

 

Cereal Box TV 

Our second craft involved making a TV out of another cereal box.

What you will need

• Cereal Box
• Paint
• Black Sugar paper or card
• Glue
• Scissors
• Colouring in sheets
• Crayons/Pens

Firstly we cut into the box to make the TV Screen, leaving a small amount of box around each side. We then painted around the box leaving the inside clear.

Once dried we cut an A4 piece of black card to fit the back of the box and then glued this in place.

 

My son wanted to ‘watch’ Hey Duggee, Peppa Pig and Finding Nemo on this TV so we found some printable colouring sheets and coloured these in.

In the top of the box we cut a long hole that would fit the colouring sheets and cut them in order to be able to push the sheets in to ‘change the channel’.   We added to this a remote control, again made using some card from a cereal box and coloured in and hey presto a TV that goes perfectly with our next little project.

Cardboard Play House

Our final activity of the week involved a number of boxes we had from finally unpacking some stuff two years after moving!

And what can you make with big boxes….A play house!

To be fair this was pretty much a solo mummy project, albeit working around two excited boys who only wanted to get in the boxes and play but after a couple of hours of sticking together,

adding an old rug for the floor

 

and some little extras such as a table and a couple of chairs (all made from the boxes) and the TV we made earlier,

  

the final touches were added to the outside and the house was complete for them to start playing. This has kept them occupied for hours as they go shopping, come home with their food to cook and eat, watch TV and go to sleep. Listening to the pretend play, the imagination coming out and them actually playing together without arguing has been great and I’ve even managed to enjoy a hot cup of tea whilst they play (winning).

So if you have some cardboard boxes or recycling you haven’t thrown out yet then why not get creating and see where your child’s imagination takes you.

There are LOADS more Messy play and craft ideas over at our blog.

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