Simple But Fun Cardboard Box Play Tunnel

Before you throw out cardboard boxes, consider making a

simple yet fun makeshift tunnel

for your active crawling baby or adventure-seeking toddler!

This activity would bring so much fun to your little one and lots of learning benefits at the same time.

How to Make a Makeshift Cardboard Box Tunnel

• Save an empty cardboard box that's the right height and size for your little one(s)
• Open and tape the flaps to each other so the box is more secure (and doesn't collapse easily on your child)
• If the box is still flimsy despite best taping efforts, prop it upright against a wall and a chair (that's what I did!)
• Decorate the box with interesting items for additional sensorial fun (I taped colourful ribbons at the "entrance" and put sensory shakers and balloons in the box)

To up the ante on sensory, line the crawling path with different textures like aluminium foil or even bubble wrap!

Learning Benefits from this Activity

At the toddler stage, our little ones would have figured out basic movement but they need more trial and error to figure out many other ways their bodies can move (gross-motor skills) and develop a keener sense of where their bodies are in relation to other people and objects (spatial awareness).

Therefore crawling through, around, under and over the cardboard tunnels helps our little ones explore new ways of moving they hadn't tried yet. Hand-eye coordination and balance are also enhanced. All these movements prepares our children for more activities that require more physical strength and skills such as playing football and learning to cartwheel.

Finally, the fact that you can transform an ordinary box into a fun crawling tunnel fosters imagination and creativity in children, on top of inculcating in them a sense of environmental preservation.

So go on, recycle that cardboard box for a whole afternoon of fun!

Share your experience with me via Instagram Direct Chat at @miraculove_sg or Facebook Group.