5. Kids’ Cardboard Play Kitchen
A play kitchen is a childhood staple, but plastic commercial versions can be expensive and eyesores. A DIY cardboard play kitchen allows you to customize the size, color, and features to match your home’s aesthetic while engaging in a deeply satisfying building project. Using two or three large, sturdy boxes, you can craft an oven with a transparent plastic window, a sink made from a metal mixing bowl dropped into a pre-cut hole, and turning knobs made from plastic bottle caps secured with split pins. Paint the kitchen in trendy pastel tones, add a stick-on subway tile backsplash, and hang miniature wooden utensils from small hooks. This project is a wonderful way to teach kids about recycling while providing them with a bespoke toy they will cherish.