Like any other toddler-parent I’m constantly looking for ways to entertain and occupy my kids between the hours of 7AM and 7PM each day. On any given weekend my to-do list is usually three miles long and so it’s easy for me to fall into a trap of letting them watch The Disney channel so I can have 30 more minutes to finish cooking dinner or prepping school lunches for the week ahead. Last weekend was no different for it’s endless list of mommy-chores except that last weekend I happened to have a supply of toddler toy holy-grail… empty cardboard boxes! I told the boys that if they took their naps (or at least laid quietly in their room for an hour without jumping off anything or getting out of bed to punch each other) that I would come up with some FABULOUS activity with those boxes. My activity?? Robot Creation!
Supplies
The great part about cardboard boxes is that they can become anything with the right amount of encouragement. Off the top of my head?? Race Car, Doll House, Pirate Ship, Bird Sanctuary, Magic Castle, Giant Shoes, Basketball Hoop… I mean really people, I could do this all day. Just figure out what your kids are into and tell them you’re making THAT.
Everything But the Kitchen Sink
While the boys were “sleeping” I filled the kitchen table with every sort of craft-like item I could find. Buttons, rubber bands, scissors, googly eyes, straws, old popsicle sticks, stickers, you name it! They were so excited when they came downstairs to find their very own robot craft station.
Hard At Work
I gave each of the boys a shoe box for the robot head and encouraged them to do anything with it they felt like their robot should have.
The Eyes Have It
The greatest part about this craft, besides the recycling of old boxes, besides encouraging my kids creativity and imagination, was that it occupied them for a solid hour. That’s worth a small fortune in mommy-world!
iRobot
Sawyer’s Creation
This is such a simple idea, it doesn’t cost a penny and the kids love it. Consider trying it out this week with your own little robots, and if you do, please send us pics, we’d love to see your creations!!
