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Keeping your kids engaged and off screens can be a challenge, especially during winter break when playing outside is not always in the cards.
The good news is that the solution is waiting in your recycling bin. You can use cardboard boxes to create new toys and games, and if you are anything like me, there are usually at least a few boxes from recent deliveries on hand.
The possibilities are as endless as your imagination (or your Pinterest feed). Make a fort, an easel, marble mazes, boats and more. With each of these crafts, you get an engineering or art activity in the creation of the project, plus the enjoyment of playing with the end result.
Mini foosball table
Nothing brings back middle school memories like a foosball table. Introduce your kids to this mini version of the classic with this fun and easy cardboard craft! You just need a cardboard shoebox, clothespins and some wooden dowels (take-out chopsticks will work just fine) and you’re in business. If you have wooden clothespins, your kids can decorate them to look like little mini players, or color them their favorite color if you want to keep things simple. Kari at U Create has all the tips and tricks you’ll need to pull together this fun project.
Cardboard bed
Tuck your best stuffed friends in at night with this sweet cardboard bed. Hellobee offers detailed instructions and measurements to help you construct the perfect spot for a special toy to rest its head. Simply cut out the cardboard, add a few strategic slits and slide the whole thing together. No messy glue needed, and it will be ready for play as soon as it is built. Kids can use their imagination to decorate the bed with markers, crayons, even paint if you want the project to keep them busy for a little longer.
Cereal box monster jaws
Chomp, chomp, chomp! These cool snapping jaws are put together using a cereal box and some brads, nice and simple. Kids can color their jaws any way they like to bring their creation to life. Are the jaws a dragon? An alligator? A sea creature? The possibilities are endless. Head to It’s Always Autumn for all the details you need to get chomping today.
Cardboard carriage
If you have a really big box and are feeling ambitious, this project should keep you busy. Kids will love sitting inside their very own carriage, and they can help paint and decorate the carriage to suit their own aesthetic. You can find all the steps to create this magical project at Red Ted Art.
Cardboard parking garage
This project is both a toy and a storage solution, all in one. Kids will have fun driving their cars in the little parking lot, and the tubes act as perfect toy car storage. You can customize this project for the amount of toy cars in your collection. Make more than one garage or use a bigger box if your toy car collection is bursting at the seams. Or, make a mini garage if only a few cars need a place to park. You’ll find all the details at Messy Little Monster.
Cardboard airplane
Get ready for takeoff with this super cute and easy-to-make cardboard airplane. Imaginations will soar with this simple project that is sure to keep the kids occupied for hours. Sarah, at Repeat Crafter Me, has step-by-step instructions, complete with pictures, that will make building this project a breeze.
DIY marble run
A big box or several cardboard pieces taped together can serve as the base of an epic marble run. Little ones will get a thrill out of rolling the marbles and older kids can construct the game as an engineering challenge. We love that Sarah, author of the Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls blog, put cups at the bottom for catching the marbles.
Marble labyrinth game
If you like the idea of the epic marble run but want something a little smaller, try this labyrinth constructed with a smaller cardboard box from the blog Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls. The idea is to tilt the box so that the marble rolls through the maze without falling into the holes. This one is also a good engineering challenge and fun game in one!
Cardboard-box Noah’s Ark
If your kid loves to play with stuffed animals, try creating this Noah’s Ark out of a box. The boat sports portholes for the animals to see out of and a fabric scrap sail. There is even a ramp for the animals to enter the vessel two by two! Check out The Craft Train for details.
Cardboard-box town
We’ve all made buildings from cardboard boxes, but what about creating an entire town? This idea from Mini Mad Things is a great way to use up smaller or oddly shaped boxes in your recycling stash. Kids can draw on windows and doors and then a parent can cut the holes. We love the addition of signage and ladders!
Car track and train tunnel in one
Just one box was used to make this two-in-one toy from the Celebrate Every Day With Me blog. The holes in the bottom are just the right size for little hands to drive toy trains in and out of the tunnels and caves. The top features a race track so between the trains and cars, this cardboard creation offers hours of fun.
Dressing table
This cardboard box dressing table from the Childhood 101 blog is pure genius. Play beauty shop or use it as a makeup station for dolls, stuffed animals or playmates. My favorite part is the cute storage solution underneath.
Cardboard easel
This project from the Artbar blog serves more than one purpose: the activity of creating the easel — then using it! You just need a cardboard box, duct tape and sticky-back Velcro. Best of all, when your little Picasso tires of painting, the easel folds flat for storage.
Cardboard stackers
You could buy any number of stacking and building toys but why do that when you can make your own? The Meaningful Mama blog shows you how to make these fun toys from cut-up cardboard. Turn the kids loose with paint or markers to decorate the stackers after a parent cuts them out.
Dino feet
Amongst all of the shipping boxes from deliveries, surely you have some tissue boxes lying around as well. These fun dino feet from Rainy Day Mum are a simple craft that the kids can make with whatever you have on hand. Paint them, cover them with construction paper, or even apply decoupage to them with leftover wrapping paper or gift tissue. Kids will love roaring and stomping in their new shoes!
More boredom-busting ideas:
Editor’s note: This article was originally published several years ago, and was most recently updated by ParentMap’s content editor Kari Hanson on Feb. 4, 2026, with a thorough fact-check.
