Screen-free summer activities for kids: DIY projects using cardboard boxes

There’s something quietly wonderful happening in Dubai homes this summer. Families are going back to basics, not out of necessity, but out of choice.

With school holidays in full swing and temperatures pushing everyone indoors, many parents are rediscovering an old-school way to keep kids engaged: crafting, building, and creating things together – using nothing more than leftover cardboard boxes.

Why it’s more than just a fun project

It might look like simple play, but building a cardboard castle, rocket ship, or puppet theatre with your children is about more than passing the time. It’s a chance to slow down and reconnect.

In a world of constant screen time and endless notifications, DIY projects:

• Teach kids problem-solving and patience.
• Encourage hands-on creativity.
• Create moments of real, undistracted bonding.
• Remind us all that not everything needs a screen or an app.

The charm of cardboard: what families are creating

Leftover moving boxes, packaging boxes, or storage cartons can be transformed into:

• Playhouses or forts.
• Puppet stages for mini shows.
• Simple furniture for dollhouses.
• Toy garages, ramps, or race tracks.
• Storage boxes kids decorate themselves (which also helps tidy up!)

Need inspiration to get started? Check out this cardboard castle tutorial or try this clever cardboard cat playhouse which, let’s be honest, might just become a doll or action figure mansion.

The best part? It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be fun.

Life lessons hidden in a craft knife

For many expat parents, this shift back to DIY also carries a nostalgic feel. After all, these are the simple joys many of us grew up with – making things by hand, learning to work with what we had.

It’s a quiet way to pass those values on:

• Creativity over consumption.
• Focus over fast entertainment.
• Togetherness over tech.

And at the end of the day, you’re left not just with a cardboard castle but with shared stories, laughter, and that rare feeling of having built something together.

Summer holidays are long – make them count

In Dubai, summer holidays are a marathon. Finding meaningful, screen-free activities isn’t always easy. But sometimes, the simplest materials spark the best memories.

So next time you’re unpacking a delivery or clearing out storage boxes, think twice before tossing them out. You might just have the makings of your child’s next great adventure.

And if you run out of boxes for your child’s million ideas, you can always order more at The Box Shop.