The festive season brings with it a lot of joy and excitement, much of which is conveyed around the world in custom cardboard boxes.

Whether it is the gift boxes that store presents, product packaging, the robust corrugated cardboard that helps it to be delivered safely or even more unusual advent calendars, boxes are an inherent and fundamental part of the season.

Most companies will create a dedicated set of boxes and packaging to fit the season, with the tradition so firmly entrenched that the BBC described it as akin to a set of “new Christmas rituals”, similar to the arrival of festive-themed adverts.

It helps to have a printing and distribution partner ready for the season, but one of the most curious elements of Christmas is how endearing the box is.

The Strong National Museum of Play inducted the cardboard box into the National Toy Hall of Fame, and many parents have relayed the same story of a child playing with the box more than the toy it was containing. 

Why do children love packaging so much? What do they provide so many play opportunities? And most importantly for businesses, what does that teach us about the power of the materials we use every day?

Why Do Children Love Boxes So Much?

It can be easy to get annoyed after spending a lot of money on presents to find they enjoy the box seemingly as much as the toy or game inside it, as it can seem ungrateful or as if they dislike the present. However, in many respects, it is the opposite, where children see the infinite possibilities in packaging that we do.

The keyword for both children and companies is “opportunity”; whilst for the latter, these opportunities come in the form of appealing, unique and robust box designs aimed to keep gifts and products safe during shipping. For children, these opportunities span the entire universe of imagination.

They are cheap, often effectively free and readily available to children, it does not matter if they are broken, doodled on, cut into, modified or stuck together with masking tape, they are innately tactile, and they can be easily put in the recycling when they are done with.

What Can Businesses Learn From Cardboard Box Play?

• The design of cardboard boxes matters as the start of a retail experience.

• Cardboard boxes are a part of the gift experience and should be treated as such.

• The magic of the mundane cannot be underestimated.

How Do Children Play With Cardboard Boxes?

To understand why children get so much joy from cardboard boxes, it is important to focus on how they play with them, as well as the differences between structured and open-ended play.

Most toys and games are designed to be played with in a certain way. Action figures are posed, board games are set up and played according to the rules, predominantly plastic playsets have a limited range of functions, and games consoles and tablets provide on-screen instructions.

This is known as structured play, and there is nothing inherently wrong with the concept. Following the rules, learning skills and reaching a predetermined endpoint are all important facets of learning, socialising and enjoying yourself.

By contrast, boxes encourage open-ended play in the same way as building blocks and LEGO bricks. A box is not just a storage container but a car, a spaceship, an Old West-style frontier town, anything you could possibly imagine.

The two play styles are not even mutually exclusive; LEGO sets are often designed to be constructed in a certain way, train sets offer room for imaginative designs depending on how many pieces are available, and boxes are often used in combination with other toys.

What Lessons Can Businesses Learn From Open-Ended Play?

• Boxes are often used for far longer than businesses might expect.

• Boxes are used as part of the product, not just to contain it.

• The little touches matter.

How Can Businesses Design Appealing Gift Boxes?

With all of this in mind, any company that designs its packaging with the expectation that it will be played with as much as the contents will often create an extremely positive impression in the minds of gift recipients.

This is part of the reason why technology companies often design somewhat elaborate boxes for their products; part of it is to economically use space whilst relying on environmentally-friendly materials, but another aspect is that opening a puzzle box is itself a form of play.

Gift boxes are designed to be elaborate for exactly the same reasons why children love the imaginative potential of cardboard boxes; it is a form of open-ended play that enhances what could potentially be a very basic experience.

Making little secret trays, nooks and crannies can be important, as can printing subtle graphics such as trees, snowy plains and mountains, which can create a backdrop for enjoying the contents.