The Best Things In Life Sometimes Comes In Boxes!

I have many fond memories from my childhood, but one in particular stands out.

During my second year at primary school, my teacher brought an empty fridge box to school. She took the entire class down to the playing field and together we gathered up all the fallen leaves up off the ground. We filled the box up to the top and took it back to the classroom and deposited it outside in the cloak bay. The teacher then used the box as a good behaviour reward, whenever we were found to be doing something exceptionally well with our schoolwork she would send us outside for 5 minutes with a buddy and we could jump into the box of leaves! It was such a simple (and free) activity but we all had so much fun!

There are so many other things that you can do with boxes too. Pop down to your local Bond and Bond or Noel Leeming store and ask for all of their empty fridge, washing machine or television boxes. They are generally more than happy to offload them. Back at your programme simply give the children some sellotape and the boxes and watch as their imaginations take over! By the end of the day you will most likely have a box village spilling through the room and the sound of delighted children as they set up houses and shops.

Have a box-car derby. Split the children into small groups and they can design, make and decorate a box-car to race around the racetrack.

Try making robots out of boxes. In groups, the children could build a robots out of boxes and other craft materials. They can come up with a name for their robot and what it is capable of doing.

Find a couple of square boxes, paint and put dots on them and you have some dice for giant games session.

The possibilities with cardboard boxes are endless and the child’s imagination is brilliant, so grab some boxes today and have hours of fun at virtually no cost!

Susannah