Location: indoor or outdoor

Materials: large cardboard boxes optional: materials to decorate the boxes like colored paper, paper plates, markers, paints, glue, etc.

It's no secret that kids love cardboard boxes and can find any number of pretend games to play in, around, and with them. One possible play scenario is turning them into race cars.

Possible Extensions:

• Invite kids to decorate the boxes to look like cars, use this to discuss the different parts of a car (tires, seatbelt, steering wheel, horn, windshield wipers, etc.)
• If you have a big enough box this can be a really great opportunity for cooperation -- allow your kids to navigate fitting multiple people inside the box and take turns driving the car
• Use this to discuss real life race car drivers like Danica Patrick and Alain Prost or pretend race cars like Lightning McQueen
• Make other types of cars (police cars, fire engines, school buses, etc.)
• Include costumes or other props to deepen play
• Introduce the concept of maps and allow children to create their own maps to use while navigating their cars