We came across this great set of shadow boxes in a second hand shop and we have used them in a multitude of ways all over the kinder.

Here we teamed them with some very popular plastic insects we bought from a local discount store.  We set them up on the floor inside a large cardboard box lid lined with a laminated board we got from reverse art. It has a texture that resembles smooth pebbles set in concrete, so we added some more textures through natural materials and spread a soft cow hide on the floor for texture and comfort.

The children were able to move the boxes and props around to suit their play, adding extra bits & pieces from the shelves as needed.

Being down at floor level, where beetles and insects are found, made the children’s play more dramatic. As the floor takes away boundaries, the children were able to spread their play out as they marched their insects back and forth across the floor and around the table and chair legs nearby.

We witnessed some lovely imaginary play here and heard some great language as the children closely examined the insects, discussing their names and habitats.