Cardboard Post Box Play

Like all kids, Buddy loves boxes! He likes climbing on them, crawling in them, pushing them and now he likes posting things in them!

This is so simple, but it keeps Buddy occupied for up to an hour at a time.

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What you need

A strong cardboard box – we got a banana box from the supermarket
A variety of cardboard tubes.

Playing with it

Buddy got the idea very quickly (helped by some rapturous applause and cheering from the Train Driver and myself.)

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Where did it go?

Buddy has definitely learned object permanence now. He investigated where the tubes had gone.

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The longer tubes take a bit more negotiation to get into the box. This activity is brilliant for developing hand eye co-ordination and motor skills. It also encourages problem solving.

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Buddy then extended the play by practising posting his trains.

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He even learned how to get the tubes out by himself. Such a clever boy!

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Build on it

This activity can be built on in so many ways, because in its basic form it is so simple. For older children it could be used as a colour sorting activity or as a tool to teach letters and numbers.

Not bad for an up cycled box and a few tubes!

19 thoughts on “Cardboard Post Box Play

  1. I love your blog! We are moving so we have plenty of boxes for my little one (11 months) to explore. It’s amazing how the simplest things can be so fascinating to them!

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  2. Great idea. All kids love cardboard boxes. This is so simple, yet provides great learning opportunities and a lot of fun for little ones.
    Thanks for linking #LetKidsBeKids

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  3. Love the simple games. It looks like your little one was occupied for a good while there.. My kids have grown out of this now so I’m having to get more adventurous with the boxes. Next on the list is to build and paint a robot that’s taller than my 6yo!

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    • Good luck with that! I don’t envy your task there. Buddy still loves this a week later and is spending a good hour a day on it (bitting and bobbing throughout the day.) so simple yet fun for him.
      Good luck with your robot, and let’s hope it’s not a UFO with flashing lights next time 😉

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