We make the most of the space by encouraging the children to explore everyday items - made from different materials - on a larger scale. We had great fun recently when some stock arrived in a big cardboard box. We checked the empty box for sharp edges and, once we had decided it was safe, we left it outside ready for our eager investigators to explore.
The children began by satisfying their curiosity. Where had the box come from? What had been inside it? They then moved on to exploring the outside and inside. This involved running hands over the surface, climbing into it, trying to close flaps, turning it over and lifting it over their heads. A great deal of cooperation was required as the children tried to manipulate the box into different positions.
They discovered that the box could be useful to transport objects across the playground and carry things to the store to put them away. Once the practical possibilities had been exhausted, the box fired the children's imaginations. It became a dark and cosy place to hide and share secrets, a boat to sit in to sail the seas, a scary monster with four legs when lifted over the heads of two children and a house for small world people.
The box stayed out in all weather conditions so the children were able to make scientific discoveries about what happens to cardboard when it gets wet. They jumped on it and rolled it up like a wet towel, fascinated by the water appearing on the spongy surface. They noticed how it slowly turned to pulp and compared it with the rigid new box that arrived in the playground to replace it.
The box was only in the playground for a short time before it disintegrated, but during that time it certainly motivated the children to share ideas, express their imaginations and make exciting new discoveries.
