Cardboard - Page 6 of 33

The Fuzzy Pipe Cleaner Bridges

Steps:

Tape your piece of cardboard flat on the table so it stays in one place while you play.
Use the hole puncher to make two columns of holes down the cardboard, leaving space in the middle.
Ask your child to pick up a pipe cleaner and push one end into a hole.
Show them how to slide a few colorful beads onto the pipe cleaner one at a time.
Help them bend the pipe cleaner and push the other end into a hole on the opposite side.
Keep going until you have a row of fuzzy, beaded bridges across your cardboard!

Safety Tip:
Beads and pipe cleaner pieces can be small. Always watch your child closely to make sure they do not put any materials in their mouth.

Baking Cup Hidden Bubble Pops

Steps:

Glue five baking cups onto a flat piece of cardboard.
Cut five small circles of bubble wrap to fit inside the cups.
Place a small dab of glue at the bottom of each cup.
Press the bubble wrap circles firmly into the glue.
Ask your child to use only their pointer finger to pop the bubbles.
Challenge them to use their other hand to hold the cardboard steady.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child to ensure they do not put small pieces of bubble wrap in their mouth.

The Cardboard Coin Slide

Steps:

Adult: Cut a long, narrow rectangle from your cardboard to make a ramp.
Use masking tape to attach a paper cup to a table edge as a goal.
Ask your child to hold the top of the ramp with their helper hand.
Encourage them to use their other hand to pinch a coin at the top.
Aim the bottom of the cardboard ramp toward the paper cup target.
Release the coin and watch it slide into the cup!
Move the cup to different spots to change the angle and challenge level.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while playing with coins. Coins are a choking hazard. Ensure the cardboard edges are smooth to prevent scratches.

The Vertical Bead Zip-Line

Steps:

Tape a large piece of cardboard vertically onto a wall.
Cut the paper roll into three small rings using scissors.
Tape the rings onto the cardboard in a vertical zigzag pattern.
Thread a long piece of yarn through all three rings.
Tape the top and bottom of the yarn to the cardboard.
Slide one large bead onto the yarn before taping the bottom.
Give your child a pipe cleaner to use as a poker.
Ask them to push the bead up through each ring.
Use the helper hand to keep the cardboard steady.

Safety Tip:
Ensure the cardboard is taped securely to the wall to prevent it from falling during play.

Zigzag Cardboard Explorer

Steps:

Use a marker to draw a wide zigzag line across your flat cardboard.
Adult: Carefully cut along this line using your scissors to create a narrow slot.
Tape the ends of the cardboard to two small boxes so the board is raised.
Fold an index card in half and draw a little person on the top part.
Slide the bottom half of the index card into the cardboard slot.
Hold the board with your helper hand to keep it steady.
Use your other hand to slide the character from one end to the other!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are playing with scissors or small cardboard pieces.