Did your children have as much fun with the empty boxes that their presents came in or more fun with the empty boxes than their presents? I know that our children did, it all started with one particular toy a cash register, with a scanner and a micro phone and some weighing scales with several packets of sweets.

The children had the idea that they wanted to build some shop counters out of the now empty  boxes that all their presents had come in.

So we got some scissors and some selotape and cut some of the larger boxes to make a counter top and put this over three smaller boxes to form the checkout. The till that was received as a present was proudly stuck on top of the middle box. Then the children took it in turn to be the shop assistant and the customer with the money.

The children pretended to scan each item with the scanner and weighed the sweets with the scales tipping a few sweets back if they thought that the customer had too many ( basically if there wouldn't be enough for there turn as the customer).  They played it for a good hour that day and have been back several time since.  It amazing how their minds work and what they pick up on, they took it one stage further and the assistant would greet the customer and ask the customer if they need bags and if they needed help packing. Till only cost a samll amount of money, but the empty boxes were brilliant. If you havn't got any around ask at your local shop or television shop they may have some empty boxes you can take away. If we had bought the counter at the shops it would have probably cost a couple of hundred, but we made it and it has kept the children entertained for hours.

Have brilliant fun with empty boxes.