Decorate Your Own Cardboard Box House

Large cardboard box (appliance boxes are ideal)

Box cutter (adult use only)

Chunky crayons

Large stickers

Washable paint and a wide brush

Smock or old clothes

Find a large cardboard box — big enough for your toddler to sit inside. Appliance boxes, diaper boxes, or moving boxes all work.

Cut a door opening and one or two window openings with a box cutter. This is an adult-only step.

Set the box on a protected floor surface — lay down a drop cloth or old sheet — with art supplies nearby.

Give your toddler chunky crayons and encourage them to scribble on the walls inside and outside the house.

Add stickers for extra decoration. Let your toddler choose where they go — on the roof, around the windows, everywhere.

For bolder decoration, use washable paint and a big brush to paint larger sections. Show your toddler how to make big sweeping strokes.

Let everything dry, then open the door and let your toddler play inside their custom-decorated house.

This project can span multiple days. Decorate a little, play a little, come back and add more tomorrow.

Reinforce the box with packing tape at stress points so it lasts longer during play.

Add a small blanket and a stuffed animal inside for a cozy reading nook.

For toddlers on the younger end, focus on crayons and stickers. Save paint for kids closer to 2 or 3 who can handle a brush better.

Take a photo of your toddler inside their finished house. It makes a wonderful keepsake of this age.