Enabling Environments: Boxes - Full of surprises

Anyone with experience of small children will have witnessed the phenomenon: the child who is far less interested in the presents than in the boxes and wrappings that the presents come in.

On Christmas morning when children open presents that are in boxes they’ll typically open the box, take an initial interest in what’s inside and then go back after a while and play with the box and the colourful wrapping paper rather than the expensive gift inside. This is because, unlike the box, the gift is often not an open-ended resource.

A creative child who encounters an open box will be asking, ‘How many different things can I do with this box?’ This inquisitive behaviour is most apparent from about six months but a fascination with boxes, bags and containers can continue throughout childhood and beyond.

Making the most of open-ended resources is about accepting that babies and toddlers have a creative mind. Once a present has been opened, don’t take the box and paper away from the child. Instead offer them a roll of sticky tape as they will probably want to wrap their present up again!

THE BIGGER THE BETTER

Last Christmas my three grandchildren demonstrated better than I ever could the enduring fascination that boxes exert over young minds – the bigger the box the better! All the presents had been opened and we were sitting down having a cup of tea in the afternoon when we realised that the three youngsters had disappeared. When we found them, they were in my bedroom sitting in the large box that I had been using to keep the presents hidden.

Even though they were all under two years old they had discovered the box for themselves and were busy playing Peep-bo in it, using the flaps as doors. An adult joined in the fun and since then the box has been used for all kinds of games, becoming a boat, a rocket, a tractor, a train or whatever the children decide.

For a baby it’s exciting enough just to sit in an empty box and experience a new kind of environment: it smells different, looks different and sounds different from what he or she is used to. Once children reach about 18 months, they begin to decide for themselves what the box will be in their imagination.

As an adult you should avoid influencing these games – don’t paint the box or tell the children what it should be. But you could make paints or collage materials available so that the children can customise their box as they choose. In a nursery setting you’ll typically see these collaged boxes displayed hanging from the ceiling. Don’t forget in baby rooms they should be displayed quite low so they are clearly visible to babies; they can be higher where there are older, more mobile children.

Recognising that children learn with all their senses, why not prepare small boxes full of things that awaken and stimulate all the senses? You could fill the boxes with noises, such as bells, whistles or crinkly foil, or smells such as cinnamon sticks, smelling soaps, cloves in a small bag or dried oranges.

To stimulate the taste buds provide boxes with edible winter treats such as dried fruits, satsumas, cranberries and gingerbread shapes. Visually you could really go to town with tinsel, wrapping paper, tissue and ribbons, not forgetting natural materials such as pine cones, holly (without the berries), skeletons leaves and lotus heads. Always make sure that the items are appropriate and safe for the age of the child.

SHARING EXPERIENCES

So here is a box. Sam is 20 months old and outside in the nursery garden he finds a large cardboard box. Sam enjoys transporting things and soon starts filling his box with leaves. Henry is also 20 months old and he manages to sit in his box, so now the box is a car. Isla is three years old and uses all her strength to push Henry in his car. Tyra has been to visit Santa and with great enthusiasm announces that she has found Santa’s sleigh and sits in her box sharing her experience of visiting Santa with Lesley, her key person.

Exploring open-ended resources such as boxes leads into what experts call ‘heuristic play’: open-ended play using natural resources. Child psychologist Elinor Goldschmied, who coined the term ‘heuristic play’, also came up with the idea of treasure baskets – easily accessible baskets containing appealing open-ended resources which children can explore using all their senses.

Treasure baskets make ideal presents for young children and they are inexpensive as many items such as ribbons, spoons or pine cones can be found around the home or garden. When children are exploring their treasure basket they are making their own choices; adults should join in as partners in play, rather than as play leaders. Up to the age of 18 months children will explore treasure baskets with their senses. Around 18 months they will start to ask themselves, "What can I actually do with all these interesting objects?"

Whether you’re providing boxes or treasure baskets for the children in your care, the important point to bear in mind is that babies and toddlers have creative and enquiring minds that need to be nurtured.

Mary Barlow is an Early Years trainer and consultant based at The Totem Pole in Grantham and winner of the Nursery World Trainer of the Year award 2011. For training and resources visit www.thetotempole.co.uk.