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Homemade cardboard toys for kids to make and play with

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Here are more than 50 homemade cardboard toy ideas for play!

We’ve scoured our own archives and drawn inspiration from bloggers around the world to come up with this HUGE collection of cardboard toy ideas.

There are cardboard games, pretend play ideas, STEM crafts, doll houses, boats, vehicles…. and more. 

50+ cardboard toy ideas to make from recyclables. STEM crafts, vehicles, pretend play ideas, cubbies and more!

Christmas is coming, which means the plastic and fad toy onslaught is about to begin.

My girls are as susceptible as any to toy crazes, and they’ve had their fair share of shopkins, ooshies, hatchimals, fidget spinners, squishies – you name it.

I’m always blown away by the ridiculous cost of these things, and by just how short-lived their interest is in them. It changes from complete obsession to forgotten at the bottom of the toy box in no time at all. That squishy collection my daughter spent all her pocket money on is now so last year.

It makes me sad that the insane number of plastic toys being sold and given to kids at Christmas are probably all going to end up in landfill one day. Sure, we donate them to thrift stores or pass them on to younger kids, but still… those toys will be here on earth for at least another 200 years.

That’s why making your own toys from cardboard is a much better idea. Kids adore playing with boxes, at LEAST as much as they love plastic toys. Every parent knows the feeling of splurging on some expensive toy and seeing their child spend way more time playing with the box it came in. 

That’s because cardboard rocks! It’s like a blank canvas waiting to be transformed into a space shuttle, flying car, toy washing machine or even an airport. All you really need is a little bit of imagination.

You can find all those things and more in this round up of over 50 fun ideas.

Check it out…

50+ cardboard toy DIY ideas from recyclables

easy cardboard toys kids can make to inspire play

Cardboard toys to encourage play

 

Cardboard puppets and theatres you can make at home

Cardboard theatres and puppets

 

DIY cardboard STEM toys – a kaleidoscope, a giant dice, shoe lacing cards and a home made Tetris puzzle

Cardboard classic toys

 

Large scale cardboard toys for pretend play, a tank, a space shuttle a house on fire cubby and a car

Large scale cardboard crafts

DIY cardboard STEM toys. Threading activity, paper roll scribblers, a cardboard disc spinner and a magnetic ice skating theatre

Cardboard STEM toys

DIY cardboard games, a paper roll construction set, a cereal box board game, DIY indoor putt putt golf course and a cardboard box marble maze

More cardboard STEM craft ideas

Cardboard castles DIY, a realistic castle for play made from recyclables, a princess castle, a knight's shield. a castle cubby you can decorate and a home made castle cubby

Cardboard castles and knights

 

cardboard vehicles, egg carton helicopters, an egg carton train, an egg carton fire engine and a cardboard airport

Cardboard vehicles

more cardboard vehicles, a london bus, cardboard space shuttles, a car ramp and a paper roll car

More cardboard vehicles

cardboard boats, a pirate ship, Noah's ark, a kid-made boat, and a mini cardboard canoe

Cardboard boats

cardboard characters

Cardboard character crafts

cardboard pretend play ideas, sparkly wands, monster costume, angel wings, washing machine, a knight's helmet and paper roll binoculars

Cardboard pretend play ideas

cardboard doll ideas, box doll house, hair cut dolls, empathy dolls and a shoe box bed

Cardboard dolls and accessories

Did you find something to make? I hope so.

I love the book Not A Box by Antoinette Portis, it would make a perfect Christmas gift packed inside a beautiful cardboard box, haha.

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  • Kate GronoKate GronoCrazy Craft Fanatic

    I’m basically a big kid who never grew up and still loves to muck around with paint, glitter, glue and toilet rolls. With the crafts shared here on this website I’m hoping to give other parents and carers inspiration to get crafty with their kids at home – make our projects, or use them as a source of inspiration to spark ideas of your own. When it comes to crafting no rules apply!

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