The Wet Play Activity Box has proven a great success in many schools across the country during wet playtimes. Though when it’s empty, it can be a huge cause of anguish to Midday Supervisors!
When adopting this system each class makes up their own activity box, it contains resources, worksheets, games sheets etc that they don’t have access to in the school day. The box is regularly replenished and can be changed from term to term. If you are feeling adventurous there are lots of alternative ideas that develop the single box theme.
Preparation
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- Ask friends, parents and staff to help collect and prepare the boxes.
- Consider where these boxes can be stored.
- This box is only allowed out at wet play, so that it remains a special treat.
- Decide who will help clear up and sort the contents in each box at the end of wet breaks.
School newsletter
In the school newsletter, make a request to parents for resources that may be used for Wet Play boxes and activities, this may include toys and activities/games that they no longer use. I always make a point of saying that all games and jigsaws etc need to have all their pieces, so please only donate if they are fully functional!
Here are some request suggestions you can make to parents.
Our school needs:
- Jigsaws
- Games
- DVD’s
- Music CD’s
- Books
- Puzzles
- Construction kits- lego, mobilo etc
- Dressing up clothes
- Knitting needles and wool
- Colouring in pictures, dot to dots etc
- Scrap paper, coloured card, tissue paper
- Comics/magazines
- Boxes/recycled materials for creative activities/box modelling etc
- Imaginative play (small worlds).
Every class will need a plastic cube or box to store the resources in. (photo of wet play box)
I would suggest that in each box contains a selection of age appropriate activities, which may include some of the following:
- Pack of cards
- 2-3 music and story CD’s
- A selection of DVD’s
- A selection of board games, snakes and ladders, ludo, draughts, chess, dominoes etc
- Jigsaws
- Knitting
- Mazes
- Plasticine or play dough
- Construction kits – lego etc
- Crayons, pencils, paper
- Paint and brushes
- Dressing up clothes
- Imaginative play (small worlds)
- Books and Comics
- Boxes/recycled materials for creative activities/box modelling etc
- Imaginative play (small worlds)
You have a few options once you have this box in place.
Classroom general activity box
Three or four wet play activities from the box can be laid out in different parts of the classroom, creating different activity zones.
Eg. Quiet zone, games zone, creative zone, imaginary play zone, construction zone, dvd zone, disco zone, meditation zone, painting and drawing zone, listening to music or stories zone, paper play and technology zone, thinking games zone, reading zone, circle games zone, quiz and puzzle zone etc
Learn more about Therese Hoyle’s 101 Wet Playtime Games and Activities
