Train from a Cardboard Box

Do you ever set your kids loose on Pinterest? Sometimes, I open the “kids crafts” board and let my boys pick what project they would like to do that day. One day, my 4 year old saw this train and wanted, so desperately, to make a train of his own. I don’t tend to collect toilet paper rolls, but I had a cardboard box, so we set off to make a train of our very own…

I cut each panel of the box into rectangles, folded them into “cars” and taped them together (leaving the ends open).

The engine was a shortened car, taped to a taller “box” and we taped a cylinder on top for the funnel.

We painted all of the cars and cut out wheels. My son loved mixing paint colors and learning about primary colors.

If you can convince your child that gluing the wheels on is the ONLY way, do that (it’s so much easier). But, if your child HAS to have wheels that turn, attach them with paper clips. Use pliers to bend the ends of the paper clips to keep them in place.

Punch holes in either end of your cars and attach your cars/engine by hooking paper clips through the holes.

And there you have a fun train made from things you already have on hand. This train lasted us for WEEKS and my boys made it even more fun by putting stickers all over it.

Chug-a-chug-a-CHOO-CHOO!

I’ll be linking up to: Works For Me Wednesday, Kids Get Crafty, Look What We Did, Mom’s Library, What are little boys made of? Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Share it Saturday, Fine Craft Guild, Share Wednesdays,