Just in time for the greatest Animal Channel week of the year arrives our Shark-Themed, Big Play in a Box! Not only have we been preparing for this week by putting together tons of hands-on play activities, but we also get to fully reveal and share our new branding! We would love to give you the details that gave us the inspiration for the play included in this fun box!
Each box we create begins with a theme and a book. Since July is notably known for Shark Week, we thought this book fit in perfectly for our vision. Our boxes are curated with developmental ages of 3-8 in mind. It can be tricky to find a book that fits that wide range, however, we felt like we hit the nail on the head with this one. There is only one word in the book. DUDE. So how does that fit in with the older genre? The illustrations and the story behind the word DUDE. It is an adorable story about those two crazy Beavers who are trying to have a great day on the water and along comes, you got it...the Shark! DUDE is a perfect way to discuss body language and how it reveals your inner feelings. As well, tone of voice because as you will see, there are multiple ways to "say" the word "DUDE" according to what is happening around!
If you haven't been introduced to the Boogie Boards, this box is the perfect way to get ahold of one of them. They are the modern-day Etch-A-Sketch. Draw a picture, or practice your ABCs and 1,2,3,s. Go over spelling words, play hangman, tic-tac-to, or just doodle. Use the stylus and when done, simply press his nose and POOF! It's gone! Perfect to place on a backpack, or attach to the back of your headrest so your child has a travel companion and toy to engage with during travel.
We found this game and felt like it was the perfect complement to our Shark-Themed Box due to the wide variety of ways to play. The cards are made of a sturdy material and are sure to last for many years. Play by matching colors or animals. One side is a memory game and flip the cards and it becomes a large puzzle. Draw the animals on your boogie board for fun as well!
We LOVE a good fidget. We think this one is a GREAT one! Our shark is sooo stretchy and filled with tiny beads making them "crunch" when squished making a satisfactory sound as well. We believe that every age can benefit from a fidget box to help out when you are on a long call, sitting through a long meeting, or traveling on a long car ride. Perhaps your child has anxiety or demonstrates symptoms of ADHD. Fidgets can be a life-saver for each. Keep this little guy handy and hopefully, your family members will not be fighting for him!
Fidgets are great! Messy, tactile play is also very satisfying! For some, a touch of wet, cold, smooth, rough, etc can be very difficult. Who cares? We do! Avoidance of getting wet, dirty, or messy can hinder learning when young. We innately learn through all of our senses. When we avoid some of these we take away opportunities to explore dimensional objects that can imprint learning in valuable ways.
Maybe your child refuses to engage with mediums like these shown. Does that mean they will fail? No, that is not what we are saying. We can have sensory preferences as well as areas of sensation that cause us to cringe and still be very successful. In fact, it is hard to find someone who doesn't have some sensation that causes the hair on their arms to raise.
If you and your child wish to "get through" barriers of sensation such as above. You can approach it slowly. Use a "tool" such as a spoon, to act as a safe way to touch or manipulate the material. Throw in small manipulatives such as legos, beads, etc. and have your child try to pull them out to "put away". Separate the material and ask to clean up the material. For whatever reason, if a child feels like they are putting it away, they seem to gain greater courage to touch and manipulate it. Hopefully, soon, the curiosity will overcome the fear and they will be fully engaging with it in no time.
Each of our boxes includes crafts that are ready-to-go. We understand how time-consuming it can be to gather all of the things to make those Pinterest-worthy crafts. We do that work for you. Simply pull the supplies out of the bag, read through our simple instructions, and allow your child to create. We encourage mistakes and acceptance. In our profession, we have found children struggle with perfectionism and quite frankly, it breaks our hearts. It is more important to work on the skills that build up to the completion of a project, such as using scissors safely and efficiently, attending to complete a project, and understanding steps to completion. Allow your child to do these projects as independently as their developmental level allows. Compliment them on effort and attitude, as this is an area that helps esteem rather than skill.
We were able to get ahold of bunches of real shark teeth. You can come up with your own creation (i.e. picture frame, necklace, etc.). As well, you can complete a unique and fun shark find project as pictured above. Simply mix baking soda, water, and food coloring until you get a thick paste. Take a tooth and bury it in the middle of a paste ball. Allow to dry overnight.
Grab a medicine dropper or something similar and a small bowl of vinegar. Put your paste in another bowl and drop vinegar slowly onto your paste balls and watch the magic occur. Eventually revealed will be a shark tooth! A fun STEM activity that can fill up an afternoon of fun, creative and unforgettable fun!
Big Play in a Box ends up on your doorstep in this NEWLY branded box. We cannot wait to see the expressions and squeals of joy when children receive this package of joy. We believe in the Power of Play and feel that the experiences provided in this box will allow your child to learn, encourage development, and strengthen relationships among family members.
If you are not part of the Big Play in a Box family, we would like to invite you to become a member of our waitlist. You will get the latest updates on new boxes, promotions, and when our cart opens again. Our next PREMIUM box will be available in OCTOBER 2023. Join our waitlist HERE!