Do you ever find yourself at your absolute wit's end when it comes to finding things to keep your kids busy? This can be even harder when you have really little ones because they are needier and want more attention from you. This time of year, it can be especially challenging to keep them out of your hair when you have a hundred extra things to do.
But fear not: A TikTok mom has come through with a genius-level play time hack that will absolutely blow your mind despite how very simple it is.
You've probably got this stuff lying around your house already.
According to TikTok mom Kristy Scott, a "gremlin" box is all you need to keep tots occupied for hours. Scott shows her followers how to construct this makeshift "cell" for kids to sit and play in with just a couple of boxes and some packing tape.
She tapes two large boxes together, just big enough for her toddlers to sit inside. She throws in a couple of markers and plops a kid on each side. That's it. Can you believe it? The kids sit right down and get to coloring. It is amazing.
The video caption reads, "and I'll say it again … you do not need money to entertain gremlins‼️"
It's a brilliant idea.
Think about it. Do your kids go after the expensive toys that you spent too much time trying to get out of the package and even more time assembling, or do they want to play with junk lying around the house? If it is anything like our houses, plastic dishes in the sink and trash headed for the recycle bin get them excited.
Scott's turning that trash into treasure, and we're here for it. The clip's 18.8 million views say that many other parents are obsessed too.
Parents are loving the hack.
People in the comment section on her post were impressed, and lots of people felt it would be an excellent thing for their own homes.
"Perfect example that kids don't care about money for their happiness," one person said.
"This is genius! On my way! To Home Depot to bu[y] 50 boxes " another fan wrote.
Some people got right to the point. "you're a legend," read one comment.
"Genius " another simply stated.
Lots of people grew up with these kinds of toys and have very happy memories of their own.
"When my parents bought a new fridge, I got a new rocket ship " someone recalled.
"Amazon has been supplying entertainment boxes for my children for years….hot glue gun, scissors, and color…. they can make anything," someone else agreed.
"When I was 5 I asked for cardboard boxes for Christmas so I can make forts. The new fridge my grandma got was my favorite box " one person commented.
"my uncle's an attorney in the my mom would leave me at his office for work and i was kept entertained by his typewriter and embosser for HOURS," one follower reminisced.
This isn't the TikToker's only cardboard box tip.
Scott shared another video of herself making a cardboard box maze for her kids to crawl in. This one is a bit more complex and requires a few more boxes and extra reinforcement with tape, but again, parents are all over it.
Some people are even saving her tips for down the road.
"Im not a mom. But u come up with super fun activities. Im taking notes," someone commented.
"I wish you'll would hurry up and get a tv show please I would watch every episode," someone else said.
"The architectural aggression ," another person joked.
Millions of followers think the Scotts are a fun family.
Kristy Scott isn't just making box forts for her kids. She is a digital content creator with 7.6 million followers on TikTok, and her videos have amassed a whopping 394.5 million likes. She and her husband, Desmond, and their two kids have a lot of fun, and people can't get enough.
