Box facts for kids

A cardboard box.

A box is a special kind of container used to hold or store things. Most boxes are shaped like a cuboid, which is like a stretched-out square or rectangle, but they can come in many other shapes too! You'll often find boxes made from materials like cardboard, wood, plastic, or metal.

Lots of boxes are made from cardboard. They are mostly used to package items for stores or to keep goods safe in storage. Cardboard boxes can be made from flat or wavy (corrugated) cardboard. People also love using old cardboard boxes for fun projects, like science experiments, making toys, or even creating costumes!

Packaging Boxes
Storage Boxes
Electrical Boxes
Postal Service Boxes
Booths Sometimes Called Boxes
Seating
Other Boxes
Images for kids
See also

Packaging Boxes

An empty box made of corrugated fiberboard.

A corrugated box for pizza.

There are many different kinds of boxes used for packaging and storing items.

Corrugated Boxes

A corrugated box is a strong shipping container made from corrugated fiberboard. This material has a wavy layer between two flat layers, making it very sturdy. These boxes are commonly used to move and store products when they are being shipped from one place to another. They are judged by how strong the material is or how much weight the finished box can hold.

Folding Cartons

A folding carton is a box made from paperboard. The paperboard is printed (if needed), cut, and folded to create a flat shape. These flat shapes are easy to transport and store. They are then put together (erected) when they are ready to be filled with products. Folding cartons are used for many different goods, either for one-time use or as a storage box for items you might use over time.

A special type of folding carton is the gift box. These are used for birthday or Christmas gifts and are often covered in pretty wrapping paper. Gift boxes are usually lighter than other paperboard boxes meant for shipping.

Set-Up Boxes

A "set-up" box (also called a rigid paperboard box) is made from very stiff paperboard. These boxes are permanently glued together with paper coverings that can be printed or colored. Unlike folding cartons, set-up boxes are put together at the factory and shipped already assembled. Set-up boxes cost more than folding boxes and are often used for valuable items like cosmetics, watches, or small electronics.

Crates and Wooden Boxes

A crate is a very strong shipping container that was originally made from wood. Crates are different from wooden boxes. For a wooden container to be a crate, all six of its sides must be in place to give it its full strength. A wooden box, on the other hand, is strong enough based on the weight it can carry even before its top or opening is put on.

A type of wooden box is the wooden wine box or wine crate. These were first used to ship and store expensive wines. Today, they are often used for decoration, promotion, or as storage boxes, rather than just for shipping.

Bulk Boxes

A bulk box is a very large box often used in factories or warehouses. It is designed to fit well on a pallet, which is a flat structure used for shipping goods.

Sometimes, the words carton and box are used to mean the same thing, depending on where you are and how they are being used.

The invention of large steel shipping containers has greatly helped connect businesses around the world.

Storage Boxes

An 18th-century German gold and mother of pearl snuffbox.

A cake box.

Boxes used for storing different items can often be very decorative. This is because they are meant to be used for a long time and sometimes are even displayed in homes or offices.

Here are some types of storage boxes:

A jewelry box is used for trinkets or jewels. It can be simple, covered in paper, or fancy, covered in leather and lined with satin. Some are large and highly decorated.
A humidor is a special box for keeping cigars at the right humidity. It uses materials that hold and control moisture. Some powered humidors can also keep the right temperature.
A strong box or safe is a secure box that can be locked. It is used for storing money or other valuable items. The term "strong box" is sometimes used for safes that are built into a wall or floor for extra security.
A toolbox is used for carrying different kinds of tools. These boxes are designed to be easy to carry, often with hinged lids, clasps or locks, strong corners, and handles. Toolboxes are usually very sturdy.
A common storage box for tools, instruments, or artworks is a strong box made to last longer and look nicer than a shipping box or crate. For example, it might be a rigid paperboard box instead of a corrugated box. Or it could be a wooden box with a smooth surface and neat corners. A storage box might have padding inside to protect its contents, but it usually doesn't have hinges, latches, or locks, just a cover. The wood from the boxwood tree is named for its excellent qualities for making this type of box.
A boxfile is often used in offices for storing papers and smaller files.

Electrical Boxes

In the world of electricity, a "box" is used to hold and protect electrical connections.

A Pattress is a box used to hold electrical switches and outlets.
A Junction box is a fixed container for joining electrical wires. These are often installed inside walls and can contain electrical outlets.
A Fuse box holds electrical fuses or circuit breakers, which protect electrical circuits from too much power.

Postal Service Boxes

A pillar box from 1856 in Warwick, England.

A Post box (or mailbox in North America) is a physical box used to collect mail that people want to send. Different types of post boxes for outgoing mail include:
- Lamp box
- Ludlow wall box
- Pillar box
- Wall box

Boxes where postal workers deliver incoming mail for people include:

A Letter box (usually called a mailbox in the US) is placed near or on a person's home or workplace.
A Post office box (often called a P.O. box) is a box rented by someone to have their mail sent to a special address at a post office or a company that offers mail services. People can unlock these boxes themselves, or a postal worker can get the mail for them.

A relay box is like a post or mail box, but it is completely locked. Post office trucks put mail into these boxes, and then mail carriers on foot pick up the mail to deliver it. In the United States, these boxes are painted differently from regular collection boxes.

Booths Sometimes Called Boxes

A Call box is a small booth with a telephone, often used for emergencies.
A Penalty box is a small area in many team sports where a player sits to serve a penalty.
A Police box was a booth used by police in 20th century Britain, often with a telephone inside.
A Signal box is a building next to a railway track used to control and coordinate railway signals.
A Telephone box is a booth that holds a public telephone.

Seating

A Bandbox is seating for a musical band during a performance.
A Box seat is a semi-private seating area at an arena or theater.
A Jury box is the seating area in a courtroom for the jury during a trial.

Other Boxes

Clear ballot boxes used in the Haitian general election in 2006.

A library book drop box.

An Ammunition box is a metal container for ammunition.
A Ballot box is a box where people put their votes (ballot papers) during an election.
A Black box is a term for something where you don't know how it works inside, but you know what it does.
Box can informally refer to large, box-shaped parts of a computer, like the main part or tower case of a personal computer.
A Box set is a collection of items, such as books or music albums, sold together in a box.
A Check box is a small square on paper, usually used to mark an opinion or option.
A Coach Box is the driver's seat on a carriage coach.
A Dispatch box (or despatch box) is a box for holding and carrying official papers.
An Event data recorder, often called a "black box," is a strong device found in some vehicles. It records data to help investigate accidents.
A First aid box is a collection of supplies and equipment used to give first aid.
A Glory box or hope chest is a box or chest where unmarried young women used to store items in preparation for married life.
A Glove box is a storage compartment inside a car.
A Jack-in-the-box is a children's toy with a surprise figure that pops out.
A Kōbako is a decorative storage box from Japan.
A Lunch box (or "lunch pail" or "lunch kit") is a sturdy container for carrying food. It can also be decorative.
A Mitre box is a woodworking tool that helps guide a hand saw to make very precise angled cuts in wood.
A Nest box is a substitute for a tree hole, used by birds to build their nests.
Pandora's box, in Greek mythology, was a box that contained all the evils of mankind, but also hope.
A Pillbox is a special container for storing scheduled doses of medicine.
A Set-top box is a device used to decode and display TV signals.
A Singing bird box is a decorative object that contains a tiny robot bird that sings.
A Soapbox is an actual or symbolic box on which a speaker stands to give a persuasive speech.
A Squeezebox is a musical instrument, like an accordion.
A Zig Zag Girl box is a box used for the Zig Zag Girl magic trick.

Images for kids

An elaborate late 17th to early 18th century box (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City).
An empty corrugated fiberboard box.
A corrugated box with a folding lid used for pizza.
Cake boxes.
A wooden box for fireworks.
Cartons.
A box or carton of cereal.
A hard cigarette pack or paperboard box.
Corrugated boxes used for storing archives.
Drink boxes.
A set-up box made of non-bending paperboard.
A wooden box.
A cigar box.
Ammunition boxes.
A reusable box or transit case.