It is a very common understanding that children are more interested in the box that the gift arrives in, rather than the gift itself – ever wondered why?

As adults, we have learned through the years that the box is merely the packaging for something more exciting, something more than the box. To a child, that box is everything they have ever wanted. It is a blank canvas, limited only by their imagination and time.

That box, no matter how big or small, is the most amazing, open-ended resource that they could ever want!

That box, that cardboard box, is a spaceship, a car, a train, a hideout, a shop, a house – literally anything! The adventure begins within the child. A spark of excitement rushes through their bodies and with every thought and movement they make they become even more excited, deepening their involvement with the idea, their imagination, and their learning.

When children are excited, they become sponges for learning. Like a sponge, they absorb information and new ideas that are all around them. They begin to develop a growth mindset that triggers in itself, a desire for more learning, and more information. They problem-solve, they take risks, and they grow their minds as they test their own knowledge.

Remember that feeling of pure excitement? The one before life experiences hardened you to the awe and wonder around you? Children still have that, and it is the role of the early year’s practitioner to ensure that the innocence and passion for the world they live stay at the core of every day! That the amazing world we live in creates possibilities that are endless and exciting.

Here are some awesome ideas to encourage your children to think out of the box:

COUNTING ACTVITIES
CREATE HOUSES FOR PRETEND PLAY
MAKE A PRETEND COMPUTER OR LAPTOP

MAKE A PRETEND CAFÉ WITH CARDBOARD FOOD
MAKE AN ATM

MAKE AN ART EASEL
MAKE A TOY CAR GARAGE

MAKE A PIZZA OVEN WITH CARDBOARD PIZZA
MAKE A BABY SENSORY DEN
USE FOR THREADING AND POSTING ITEMS

The list of activities really is endless.  I hope these inspire you and your little ones to explore, play and have lots of fun.

Happy Playing!

Article adapted for www.clamberclub.com
Credit LUCY LEWIN of Little Angels lucy.thornton@icloud.com
Images and ideas by http://www.playhooray.co.uk