1-Card Board Castle
What you need-
1-A box
2-Heavy dutey scissors or a craft knife
3-string
4-crayons , paints and or markers
Instructions-
1-Find a box and cut off the top flaps. Any type of box will do: a large cardboard box makes a large castle, a shoebox makes a fine, small castle. To cut thick cardboard, try a craft knife. Poultry shears work well for thinner cardboard.
2-Cut out a wide rectangle along the front front, sides, and the back to form towers (turrets) at the corners.
3-Cut out rectangular crenelations along the entire top (the battlement) of the castle.
4-Draw a drawbridge at the front of the castle. Using the point of a scissors, poke 2 small holes in the sides of the drawbridge and on both sides of the wall next to it. Cut out the drawbridge.
5-Attach a string to each side of the drawbridge and the adjoining wall.
6-Decorate the castle with paint, markers, crayons, or decoupage (pictures that are cut from magazines and pasted onto the castle).
Sit back and admire your castle!
2-Tiny Puppet Theater
What you need-
1-A large, empty cereal box
2-Poster paint (one color)
3-Old newspapers (to protect the table)
4-Colored construction paper (or scraps of fabric) for the curtains
5-Glue
6-Scissors
7-A pencil
Instructions-
1-Cut the top off a cereal box (this will be the bottom of the theater).
2-Using poster paint, paint the box (use old newspaper to protect your work surface). Let it dry completely.
3-Cut a rectangular hole on one side of the box -- this will be the stage of your theater. Leave at least 2 inches of the box so the box will not fall apart.
4-Using colored construction paper, draw and cut out curtains for your theater.
If you'd like, use small rectangular scraps of fabric instead of the construction paper.
5-Glue the curtains to the box. Cut a tiny rectangle of contrasting color paper for the pretend curtain tie-back. For the fabric version, use a twist-tie as a tie back.
You now have a tiny theater that is useful for putting on shows with finger puppets, popsicle stick puppets, or puppets on a straw.
Sit back and enjoy your theater!!:)
3-Fire Truck
What you need-
1-Card Board Box
2-Four paper plates
3-Red and black paint
4-3 paint brushes
5-Black ,white, blue and orange construction paper
6-Scissors
7-Glue
Instructions-
1-Paint a cardboard box red and let it dry.
2-Paint four paper plates black and let them dry.
3-Cut two headlights and fenders from white construction paper and glue them to one end of the truck.
4-Cut a windshield and windows from light blue construction paper and glue them to one end of the truck.
5-Glue the wheels to your truck.
6-Cut two ladders from orange or brown construction paper and cut two hoses from black construction paper.
7-Cut white hub caps. Glue all of these to the sides of your truck.
You now have a great fire truck to ride in or to use as a toy box!
4-Treasure Chest
What you need-
1-A shoebox
2-Tempera paint
3-Brushes
4-Sturdy tape
5-Optional - string or yarn
Instructions-
1-Paint the box and the lid the same color. Let the paint dry.
2-Using another color, paint treasure-chest like decorations on your box (like straps and a place for a lock) . Or you can glue on construction paper. Let the paint dry.
3-Paint in the final decorations (like a keyhole). Let the paint dry.
4-Using sturdy tape, attach the lid to the box (put the tape on the inside of the box and lid).
5-Add any final decorations, like a two short pieces of yarn glued to the box and the lid; they can be used to tie your treasure chest shut.
You can now fill your treasure chest with goodies for a great tresure hunt.
5-Box Town
What you need-
1-Old boxes
2-Cartons
3-Colored Paper
4- Scissors
5-Tape
6-Paper Tubes
7-Crayons
Instructions-
1-Wrap up boxes and other empty containers with colored paper.
2-Have an adult cut out doors if wanted.
3-Use tissue tubes for chimneys.
4-Decorate with windows, flower boxes, etc.
To make trees-
1-Use a tissue paper tube for the trunk.
2-Draw a green blob on stiff paper or cardboard for the leaf canopy and cut it out.
3-Tape the green canopy to the tube.
6-Card Board Barn
What you need-
1-A cardboard box (pick the size that will fit your plastic animals)
2- A sheet of cardboard (for the roof)
3-Pencil or marker
4-Scissors or a craft knife (to cut the cardboard)
5-Tempera or acrylic paint (red, white, and black)
6-Scrap newspaper (to protect the table)
Instructions-
1-Mark the cardboard box so that it has the roof-line of a barn.
2-Cut the cardboard along your markings, making a barn shape.
3-Mark the barn doors (they should be shaped like a rectangle with a vertical line in the center, making a double door). Cut along the top, bottom and middle lines -- the outer vertical lines will be the hinges, creating double doors.
If you put barn doors on both sides of the barn, two children can later put animals in and out of the barn at the same time.
4-For the roof, cut a rectangle of cardboard that is about an inch or two longer than the barn and wider than the two triangular tops of the barn.
5-Mark where the fold line will be and then carefully fold the rectangle in half. Place the roof on the barn to make sure that it fits.
6-Mark where you will want windows on your barn.
7-Paint the barn red.
8-When the red paint dries, paint the inside of the windows black. When that paint has dried, paint white trim around the windows and doors. Also paint a large white "X" on the barn doors.
9-Paint the roof white or light gray.
10-Place the roof on the barn.
You now have a fantastic barn with a removable roof. You can put your play animals in and around the barn and create a make-believe farm.
7-Shoe Box Float
What you need-
1-A cardboard shoebox
2-Colorful construction paper, foil, or gift wrap
3-Scissors
4-Glue
5-Paint or markers
6-Assorted small toys, dolls, action figures, plastic doodads, beads, ribbon, plastic flowers, glitter, etc.
Instructions-
1-Decide on a theme for your float, like: under the sea, racecars, superheroes, spring gardens, etc. You may want to think of a title for your float (like Pirate Parade, Cowboy Carnival, Dancing Dolls, or Alien Attack)
2-Collect small plastic toys and inexpensive doodads for your float.
3-Decide what color(s) you want your float to be.
4-Cover the outside of the shoe box with colored paper, foil, gift wrap, Sunday comics, brown grocery bag paper -- or paint the box. Do not cover the inside of the box (it will not be visible). Cover all of the lid.
5-Turn the shoebox upside-down; this will be the base of your float. Attach the lid of the shoebox to the end of the upside-down box (this will form a backdrop for your float). Glue, staple or tape the lid in place.
6-Decorate your float! Arrange the dolls, doodads and other items on your float. Glue them in place.
7-Use markers or paint to write the title of your float on the side of the float.
You now have a festive float. Make a few and you'll have a parade!!
