Recycled Materials Craft: DIY Mini Soapbox Cart

Recycling Craft: Soapboard Cart

This little soapbox cart is easy to make with recycled materials and is perfect for small world play. Whether the setting is a farmyard, a castle, or a fairy garden, kids will have fun filling the cart with leaves, pebbles or small sticks to bring loads of fun to pretend play!

Start with a small box similar in size to one that holds a bar of bath soap. Then follow these simple instructions to make your cart. You can even be creative and decorate your cart with stickers, or color with crayons or markers.

Supplies

Soapbox
Cardboard
Drinking straw
Bread ties (plastic clips)
Crayon or marker
Paper fasteners

How to make a Soapbox Cart

Cut out the top portion of the soapbox.
Hole punch on opposite sides in the middle of the box for the wheels.
Cut out wheels from cardboard. Draw spokes with a crayon or black marker. Poke holes in the center of the wheels, large enough for the wheel to rotate easily on the paper fastener. We used a sharpened pencil to make the holes.
Attach each wheel in the order shown in the photo. The bread tie serves as a washer, which allows the wheel to run smoothly.
Hole punch on both sides near the front of the box, and close to the top. Insert the straw for the handle.
Bend the straw at the sides of the box to bring the two ends to the front of the cart. Pinch one open end of the straw between two fingers and insert it into the opposite open end about an inch, or until it feels secure. Adjust the bends in the straw to make the sides of the handle even.

Fill the cart with flowers, twigs or small stones. Use natural materials collected outdoors, or reuse small items such as leaves and berries found on discarded seasonal decorations.

Kids will love that the wheels can actually turn as the cart rolls along with its special load!

Recycle some everyday materials to make this cart with your early learner and have fun with small world play!