The holidays are coming, folks! Are you ready? If you’re like most people, you still have gifts to buy and a mounting to-do list before the big day. And, if you’re anything like me, you do most of that shopping part online and let the gifts roll in on UPS’ wheels.
But, how best to tackle that to-do list when you have wild children underfoot? I love those little people but man they make everything take so much longer.
Well, I’ve got a plan to get us through the holiday chaos with our sanity intact and I posted it over on GeekMom. It’s a super-simple idea that is sure to keep your kids engaged, happy, and out of your hair while you tackle the must-dos and to-dos. It’s cardboard STEM! Do you know how we always joke that kids enjoy the boxes more than the gifts they receive? Let’s capitalize upon that cardboard-obsession by giving those kiddos cardboard STEM challenges! When those boxes roll into your driveway via UPS or FedEx, do not immediately recycle them! Save them and ask your kids to try some of the 25 ideas that I’ve posted over on GeekMom.
Our family is planning to tackle a bunch of the Cardboard STEM challenges before the holidays in what we are calling The 12 Days of Cardboard. You can feel free to follow along and please share your creations on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtags #cardboardstem and #12daysofcardboard—we’d love to see what you’ve made!
12 Days of Cardboard
We will be adding our challenge creations each day, so be sure to check back!
- Day 1: Cardboard Shield and Dagger
- Day 2: Cardboard Cork-Shooting Cannon
- Day 3: Cardboard Castle
- Day 4: Musical Baton
- Day 5: Toolbelt with Adhesive Homemade Band-aids
- Day 6: Cardboard Cat (because he’s currently obsessed with Erin Hunter)
- Day 7: Cardboard row boat
- Day 8: Cardboard rocket ship
- Day 9: Cardboard Reptile
- Day 10: Cardboard Time Machine (and it plays elevator music!)
- Day 11 A Super Hero Name Tag
- Day 12: Weaving Loom
Want to take the cardboard box love and learning to the next level?
If you want to build upon the learning, be sure to follow our STEM board on Pinterest or check out these great books:
Tell me, what amazing things have your children created lately? Share here!
Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley
Cait co-hosts The Homeschool Sisters Podcast and is co-founder of Raising Poppies, a community for parents of gifted and twice-exceptional children. Cait is also founder of the Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a fantastic community of book-loving parents and the Gameschool Community at My Little Poppies, a vibrant community of gameschoolers.
Cait is a contributing writer for Simple Homeschool. Her work has also appeared on The Huffington Post, The Mighty, Scary Mommy, GeekMom, and many others. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
and G+.
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[…] my experience, kids can learn oodles and bunches with a cardboard box. You don’t have to spend a ton (one year I made a $5 Tinker Kit and my kids play with […]