A cardboard box, gussied up as a play sink and stove, will send your toddler into pretend rapture--for real. In fact, the hours of play she'll get out of this sweet kitchen make it well worth an evening of cutting and painting. (For a simpler version, just tape the box closed, cut a hole for the bowl, and call it a sink. She'll still adore it.) Offer plain old rolled oats (which are safe to eat) and pint-size cookware for even more fun.
| Prep Time: Afternoon or Evening | |
| What you need: | |
| Large cardboard box (ours measures 14 by 18 by 26 inches)
Tacky glue Additional flat cardboard (cut from a box is fine) Scissors, craft knife, and pencil Metal bowl with 1/2-inch lip White paint, colored craft paint, and brushes (optional) Cord or kitchen twine | |
| Seasons: Year round | |
| Materials: cardboard | |
| Instructions: | |
| 1. | Seal the flaps of the box closed with glue. |
| 2. | Cut cabinet and oven doors, burners, and a faucet from the flat cardboard. |
| 3. | Turn the box on its side so you can lay the cabinet and
oven doors on the front of the kitchen. Trace around them, then
cut out 3 sides of each rectangle; leave the fourth side uncut to
act as a hinge. Glue the freestanding doors on top of the hinged
ones for durability.
|
| 4. | Flip the box over and, on the top side of
the kitchen, trace around the bowl's rim. Cut a hole 1 inch smaller than the diameter of that circle. |
| 5. | Cut a slot for the faucet. Use a sharp pencil or the craft knife to punch holes for the towel rack and door handles (you may need to work from both sides). |
| 6. | Paint the box white, if you like |
| 7. | Add the final touches: glue on the burners and faucet; paint on details such as stove knobs, hinges, and hot and cold water handles; lace cord through the holes, then knot it on the ends to make door handles and a towel rack. Finally, position the bowl in the sink hole and hang a dish towel from the rack. |
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