You know all those cardboard food boxes you throw away? Well, here's a great opportunity to give them a second life, teach your children to recycle, and make some cool materials for your classroom. Send a note asking families to save their cardboard food boxes for a week and then let the fun begin!
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Cardboard Castle
Let children use masking tape to create a castle or other play sculpture.
What's for Breakfast?
Each child chooses the front of their favorite cereal box. They can write original sentences or fill in the blank "(Child's name) likes (cereal)."
Puzzles
Cut box fronts into puzzle shapes. Store in zip bags. For younger children use two like boxes. Cut one up and let them place the pieces on the second box.
Fronts and Backs
Cut front and back panels off of boxes. Mix them up and then ask the children to match up the ones that go together.
*Play a memory game where you place the fronts and backs face down on the floor. Children try to match up pairs.
Stencils and Templates
Cut geometric shapes out of box fronts. Children can trace these with colored pencils, crayons, or markers.
*Cut seasonal shapes or objects that relate to a unit of study for the children to trace.
Sewing Cards
Punch holes around the sides of boxes. Children can sew these with yarn, string, or old shoelaces.
Weaving – Cut notches around the sides of boxes and let children weave through these with yarn.
Fractions
Fractions
Give each child the front panel off a box. Can you cut it in half? Fourths? Eights?
Math – Have children sort the boxes by product, size, etc. Graph favorite cereals, cookies, crackers, etc.