There’s something magical about the moment a child looks at a cardboard box and sees something else entirely. At Makedo, we believe that hands-on learning and open-ended play go hand in hand, and so does a great book! Whether you are a parent looking for screen-free activities or a an educator searching for the perfect cardboard construction project, these picture books about cardboard and creativity are the perfect spark to ignite a child’s imagination! Pair them with real cardboard construction tools and watch the stories come to life right in their hands.

Children’s books to pair with hands-on learning

These are some of our favourite children's books that inspire cardboard building! We picked each one because they focus on imaginative play and making. Every one of these books encourages a maker mindset in kids!

• This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary

• Not a Box and Not a Box City by Antoinette Portis

• The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Clarke

• The Man Who Loved Boxes by Stephen Michael King

• Boxitects by Kim Smith

• What to Do with a Box by Jane Yolen

• A Mighty Fine Time Machine by Suzanne Bloom

• The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi

• Box by Min Flyt

• Cardboard Kingdom Series

• Cardboard Box Engineering by Jonathan Adolph

More books about kids' engineering:

• The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier

• The Little Blue Bridge by Brenda Maier

• The Little Green Swing by Brenda Maier

• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

• What do you do with an Idea? By Kobi Yamada

• Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Hands-on Learning with cardboard for elementary students

The best part about all of these books? They don't just inspire kids to imagine…they inspire kids to build. Inspired by stories like these, and the core belief that kids learn best when they can touch, create, and make, we designed a lesson that fuses literacy and cardboard construction in a way that will truly surprise you! 

In this hands-on writing workshop, students use Makedo tools and cardboard to physically build and rearrange sentences, enabling them to construct sentences and meaning with their hands! This STEM literacy lesson makes abstract grammar concepts concrete and tactile, turning a skill that can feel frustrating on paper into something kids can see, touch, and rearrange until it clicks. 

Try it with your own students. Head to the Makedo Education Resource Hub for the full Constructing Sentences lesson. Complete with step-by-step instructions, materials list, and everything you need to bring it into your classroom or home.

Ready to read it, build it?

Every great maker starts with a big imagination and a few simple tools. Whether you're reading Not a Box for the hundredth time or introducing your kids to a brand-new build, Makedo gives little makers the real tools to bring every idea to life.

👉Shop Makedo Kits and start your next cardboard adventure.