Make a Cereal Box House

What You Do:

1. Help your child find the glued seam that runs along one side of the cereal box. Use your fingers to gently open the seam, then flatten the box. Help her cut off the top and bottom flaps and the front panel. What you have left is the back of the box as the center panel between two skinny sides. Flip this over so the plain cardboard side faces up.
2. Have her trim the skinny sides so they're half as tall as the center panel. Next, have her trim the top of the center panel into the shape of a roof. Does she want to make it a sloped roof, add parapets, or give it the flat roof of a skyscraper? Let her decide!
3. Then, let her choose where she wants her doors and windows, and show her how to use a ruler to sketch them in. Help her use the scissors to cut up along the right vertical side of the door and across the top. 
4. Now, this step is adults only! Place your cardboard house on a safe cutting space and use the utility knife to cut an "I" shape in the center of the windows to mimic shutters. Cut across the top and bottom of the windows so the shutters can open up. Use the utility knife to lightly score the left side of the door, and the outside edges of the windows, so that everything is easy to open and close.
5. Now, it's time to get creative! Have your child decorate the building with markers, crayons, or collage photos.
6. When she's all done, the house is ready to display! Fold the door and windows open, and fold the skinny sides back so your cereal box house will stand upright.

If your child want to add some character to her house, she can cut out pieces of white paper and decorate them with people and little household scenes. Then, tape them in the door and window openings to give the house some life!