A delivery of hats at one setting in Scotland gave children the chance to try them on and discuss their different styles and functions, as well as set up a role-play hat shop. By Annette Rawstrone
Children and staff from Poppies Pre-school in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, model the donated hats
Children and staff from Poppies Pre-school in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, model the donated hats

There are hats galore at Poppies Pre-school in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire since the setting received a donation of beautiful secondhand hats earlier this year. They expected two or three hats, but more than 40 were delivered, leaving staff excited to see what the children would choose to do with the generous gift.

What they did

Children and staff unpacked all the formal hats together and had rich discussions about where they had come from and what events they may have been worn at. They explored the hats and admired their different colours – from vivid pink and red to black and more neutral tones – styles and adornments, including elaborate feathers, bows and ribbons. ‘There was a lot of exploration around the hats because a lot of the children hadn’t seen that type of formal hat before,’ says Sharon. ‘All the donated hats were women’s, so we did add in some men’s hats to make it equitable, but to be honest, they didn’t get picked much.’

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