Let's set the scene:
Our first morning in our new destination and it's time to unpack . After not sleeping very well in this new place that we have to turn into home , waking up every hour wondering where you are, you get up before everyone else to have a quiet coffee, which will recharge your depleted batteries and allow you to get down to business.
The house is calm , and you can handle anything. You start with the room furthest from the sleeping beauties and close all the doors between you and them. You grab the nearest box and begin unpacking with the utmost care, but it's all for naught. By the third plate you peel off the bubble wrap, the living room door opens, and you hear that daily phrase from a sleepy little voice behind the sofa: "A glass of milk, please." There are two options after that voluntary glass of milk and that almost obligatory piece of toast: get out the invisibility blankets and throw them over the thousands of cardboard boxes that populate this house until nightfall, when the spell is broken with the children in bed and you have to get back to work; or try to juggle children, family, moving , chaos, order, tranquility, and happily ever after. We'd love the first option, but since we don't have those kinds of blankets, let's see how we can manage with the second.
Look around and unleash your inner resource management and recycling superpower that every parent possesses. Think positively and don't focus on the mess, the work you still have to do, and the overflowing moving boxes that need emptying. Those cardboard boxes staring at you need to be emptied, and who better to put them to good use than your children? You'll also find some packing material here and there, which could be a treasure trove for the kids.
What can you do with all of that?
We're not going to ask you to do elaborate crafts and build the cutest play kitchen of the year, because now's not the time for more complex cardboard box projects. You'll have plenty of time to make cardboard toys for children when everything is back in order. For a day like this, we're giving you several quick and easy ideas to keep the kids entertained , fostering their imagination, creativity, artistic, motor, and cognitive skills... come on! A cardboard box can be so versatile, and you should know how to use it! And since our boxes are the strongest on the market, they guarantee a long life of play. Here are the options we suggest:
Paint
It's as simple as giving them some colored pencils , a regular pencil, or even the same permanent marker we use to label packages and empty boxes. They love coloring on a new surface, something different from what they're used to, like a typical A4 sheet of paper. They can draw on the outside , step inside and paint there, we can guide them and ask them to draw something, or let them draw freely and see what surprises them. We can also cut off one side and leave it flat and spread out on the floor. They love it!
Squash bubbles
That's the thing about bubble wrap ; when you hold it in your hand , you can't help but pop a few bubbles . If it happens to you, imagine how much fun it can be for them. They can play with it for a while, and if there are several children, you can have a contest to see who can pop the most bubbles first, having given each one a piece of roughly the same size.
Imagine what it is
Let's play a game where we imagine what the box could be . Take turns saying what you think the box might be. The child can play alone, with siblings, or with you while you keep things tidy. A car, a rocket, a helmet... long live imagination!
Cardboard car
Fold the flaps inwards and paint four wheels on the sides of the box; for the child it will not be a box, it will be the coolest car in the world, with all the loudest and brightest special effects that a battery-operated toy car can offer.
Cardboard Kitchen
Turn a box upside down and paint the stovetop burners you want, and the knobs on one side. They might surprise you by preparing their favorite school lunch dishes: breaded cutlets, potato omelets, mashed potatoes, or even broccoli. In this kitchen, any ingredient becomes a delicacy for tired parents dealing with the move.
