With so much of the world staying home, we are all in need of a creative outlet...and overstocked with delivery boxes! With that in mind, I decided to launch On Hand Family Fun! This will hopefully be a site for families like yours to find fun, creative ideas to keep young minds interested, inspired, and occupied with materials you already have around the house (or on the doorstep...or in the recycling bin).
Let's start with the Space Shuttle!
Keep in mind, the point of the project on this site is NOT to look pretty! Or even to last! Cardboard box projects like this are meant to get little brains thinking. They give little hands something to do. They give little minds something to imagine. They provoke questions and make space for conversations. When you are making something out of cardboard, who cares what it looks like?! If you are going to enjoy this, let go of your inner perfectionist, and remember that this project will be headed for the recycling bin in a week or two.
We made our shuttle during Space Week of at-home learning. A big box came with a delivery and it seemed the prime time to make a spacecraft.
Step 1: Research
Start your project by looking up some pictures of spacecrafts. Watch some liftoffs online. Watch some astronauts floating around in the International Space Station. Talk about gravity and how astronauts have to live in space. This gives kids a place to start with their dramatic play once the shuttle is built.
Step 2: Gather Supplies
You will need:
- Box and box cutter
- Packing tape
Optional:
- Wrapping paper, butcher paper, and/or construction paper
- Paint
- Christmas lights
- Printed symbols, flags, or images of outer space
Step 3: Assemble (Adult Only)
Use caution with your box cutter.
Always cut moving away from your body.
Always cut in a safe space, away from children or anything valuable.
Step 4: Decorate
This is where you get to involve everyone's creative ideas!
- Wrap your box. Use the back of old wrapping paper for a white surface.
- Paint with watercolor or washable paint. Remember, when you add water, a little bit of paint can go a long way.
- Add lights! Use a pencil to poke holes in your box. Insert Christmas lights to make them into buttons.
- Print a NASA symbol or a flag to add to your creation.
Step 5: Play!
Give your kids license to add things to your space shuttle! Make aliens! Make a spacesuit! Help guide them to use the shuttle as a means to imagine what a liftoff would feel like or what you might see out the window in outer space.
Share your creations and ideas here in the comments or on Instagram at @onhandfamilyfun!
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