Cardboard Box Washing Machine

OR . . .

Place your cape in the tub . . .

Close the lid . . .

Set the dials . . .

Wait . . .

Admire your super clean cape . . .

The other day I was browsing through Pinterest and my son noticed this cardboard washing machine I had pinned.  He thought that looked pretty cool and asked if we could make it.   Occasionally over the next few weeks he brought it up again and again until I finally realized he was serious about wanting to make this washing machine.  So we headed down to the basement and found a box.  We worked on our machine over the next two weeks, a little here, a little there. Cutting cardboard and paper, taping, cutting out dials, coloring and gluing.  It was fun.  A special project for just the two of us.  And then we were done. . . .  And the washing machine sat. . . . Apparently little boys don't really like to pretend to sit and do laundry all day.  We did have fun working together but the next time we have a box to spare we'll use it for something like a race car or a rocket ship.  I think we'll get a lot more use out of something like that.

What kinds of things have you created out of a box with your kids?