Make a Cereal Box House

What You Need:

• Cereal box
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Craft knife (with parental supervision)
• Markers, decorative paper, or paint

What You Do:

1. Help your child to flatten the cereal box and cut off the flaps on the top and bottom of the box.
2. Remove the front panel of the box. What remains should still stand on its own.
3. Flip the box so the flat cardboard is facing up.
4. Have your child cut down the skinny sides of the box so they are half as tall as the center panel.
5. Then, ask them to trim the top of the center panel into a roof. They can create any type of roof they like. If you want, you can show them some examples including a slope, angular, or even a flat roof.
6. Ask your child where they want the doors and windows. They can use a ruler to help draw them in so they're straight.
7. Help them use the scissors to cut open the door on the right vertical side and along the top.
8. Help them use a craft knife to cut open the windows. The shape that will be cut is a capital "I." This will allow them to fold back the flaps to create shuttered windows.
9. Now, your child can decorate their house with markers, decorative paper, or even paint.
10. When they are finished, have them fold out the box so it can stand on its own. If they like, they can add scenes by drawing them on white paper and taping them behind the windows and in the door. They can also draw and cut out flowers for the windows.