Preschool Activities With Empty Cereal Boxes

Playtime Activities

• While it may look like an old cereal box to you, a preschooler's imagination comes up with all types of ideas for the large piece of cardboard. Provide your child with a creative push by helping him decorate numerous boxes to look like dominoes. Line each box up about 6 to 8 inches away from one another and let your preschooler topple the first one over and watch the rest fall. If you don't have the time or patience to decorate the boxes, encourage your child to build towers and forts.

Apparel and Accessories

• If you have a preschool fashionista on your hands, consider creating fashionable items such as sandals or tote bags out of the empty cereal boxes. To make sandals, simply cut the box so it lays flat. Have your daughter stand on it while you trace her feet. Cut out the slippers and attach ribbon straps with tape. Know that these slippers should only be worn indoors and for lounging around the house as they're not durable or slip-resistant.

  Create simple totes by cutting the box in half horizontally and decorating. Attach flaps by sticking small holes in the four corners of the box and sliding a piece of ribbon on each side of the box.Tie each end in a knot to secure.

Learning Activities

• Ask your son to be imaginative and help you come up with an idea for a new cereal. Choose a name, what the cereal will look like and a box design. Cover an old cereal box with white paper and allow your preschooler to decorate it to reflect his cereal idea. This activity encourages problem-solving and creativity.

  Cut up the box to create a puzzle and help your child put it together. Puzzles help promote memorization, fine-motor and problem-solving skills.

  Finally, teach your child to spell out words and become familiar with the letters of the alphabet. Cut out the letters on the box. Use them to spell words together.

Creative Crafts

• Create a cereal box snowman by placing several heavy pebbles in the box for stability and then sealing the box with tape. Cover the box with white paper or paint it white. Use pom-pom balls found at craft stores for ear muffs and a pipe cleaner for the ear muff band. Use construction paper to create a face, complete with the orange carrot nose.

  Create a mask by cutting out the back of the box after sealing the flaps shut. Attach a wooden craft stick to the bottom of the box so your daughter can hold it up to her face. Use glitter, craft paint, markers and paper to decorate the box. Cut out a hole for the eyes and mouth.