Cardboard Box Play Helps Kids Learn!
Did you know that cardboard was originally invented in China around 4,000 years ago using the bark from Mulberry trees? It wasn't until 1879, that cardboard boxes were finally used as the boxes we all know and love for packing...and, of course, for PLAYING!
Boxes can be anything!
The ultimate open-ended material for play, cardboard boxes are simple enough to transform into absolutely anything your little one dares to imagine. Even more exciting, card board boxes are not bound by any form or function, so your little one's play can spontaneously change as their ideas evolve.
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An original outfit, a fancy hat, a canvas to draw on, new skates for your feet...
The possibilities are endless!
Where to find the best boxes?
One of the very best things about cardboard boxes is that they can be found everywhere and are for everyone, making the play possibilities accessible and almost effortless. But it does help to know where to look. We find that people are almost always happy to donate a box when they know that a child will enjoy playing with it. *Remember to check for metal staples especially with large boxes so that they are safe for your little ones to play in.
- Local hardware store
- At the grocery store
- Local Post Office
- Furniture and Appliance stores
- Schools Restaurants
- Shoe stores
- Ask a friend who has just moved!
So, where's the learning in cardboard box play?
Large & Small Motor Control
Handling big boxes requires big muscles especially since boxes can be a bit unwieldy. Children love to stack and line up boxes and then let them fall. This repetition and recreation exercises not only your child’s budding neurological connections, but also their growing motor skills. Similarly, stacking and handling small boxes requires focus and patience and small motor dexterity. Even the transfer of a toothpaste box from one hand to the other allows your child to practice cross-hemisphere processing. At home, you can save boxes of all shapes and let your child handle, stack and balance them.
Object Permanence
What is a box if not an opportunity to make an object (or a person) disappear and then reappear again? When children are able to place a favorite stuffed animal inside a box and then pull it out again they are learning to understand that just because an object is out of sight, it does not mean that it is gone forever. Learning and practicing this skill builds your child’s confidence and overall emotional well-being and will help to ease separation anxiety.
Language Development
Children often want to climb inside cardboard boxes or transfer objects in and out of them. This play provides a great opportunity to practice words and concepts like “in and out,” “big and small,” and “open and shut.” Modeling and encouraging this type of vocabulary supports an understanding of directional language. This not only relates to objects but also to a child’s growing awareness of their body in space.
Quiet Sensory Play
We often think of play as rough and tumble, but in this busy world, box play can lend itself very nicely to a quiet and cozy experience. Quiet play in a box helps a child self-soothe and slow down away from potentially overwhelming stimuli. A simple box can become your child’s safe little world away from the hustle and bustle.
Social-Emotional Benefits of Box Play
Playing with cardboard boxes promotes cooperation and communication when children play together, helping them develop social skills and build relationships. Additionally, the simplicity of cardboard boxes allows children to take control of their play, boosting confidence and emotional resilience.
Bottom Line:
Favorited by children across cultures, and across the ages, the humble cardboard box has set the stage for beloved childhood memories for almost all of us. Give your little one a cardboard box to play with, and you give them the world.
