Craft with Cardboard: A Kid's Guide to Constructing a Miniature City (Easy Crafts for Kids)
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What’s inside...
Part of the Easy Crafts for Kids series, this hands-on guide by maker-educator Tiffanie Pichon teaches children how to transform everyday shipping boxes, paper tubes, and food cartons into a vibrant cardboard city. Step-by-step photo tutorials walk young readers through planning streets, measuring and cutting façades, adding artistic details, and wiring simple LED “streetlights.” Along the way, readers learn about recycling, basic geometry, creative problem-solving, and teamwork as they design parks, skyscrapers, and community landmarks from repurposed materials.
Discussion points
How did planning first help the final build?
Which building was most challenging and why?
How does reusing cardboard help the planet?
What real city features would you add next?
How did you solve a design problem together?
Tip: Role play these questions
Share your own memories of building models or forts.
Encourage kids to sketch modifications before cutting.
Celebrate small wins, like a stable roof or bright paint job.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Creative reuse protects the environment
Explanation: Every project starts with clean recycled cardboard.
Real-World Application: Kids may think twice before throwing boxes away.
Example Lesson: Planning prevents mistakes
Explanation: Grid sketches guide cutting and assembly.
Real-World Application: Children can apply planning steps to homework projects.
Example Lesson: Teamwork makes complex tasks easier
Explanation: Friends hold walls upright while glue dries.
Real-World Application: Kids learn to delegate roles in group activities.
Example Lesson: Persistence leads to better results
Explanation: Collapsing towers are rebuilt with stronger supports.
Real-World Application: Children practice resilience when tasks get tough.