Mini Playbox

The aim was to create a beautiful and inviting play box, filled with open ended activities that families can easily recreate at home. There was a particular focus on encouraging early speech, language, communication and numeracy.

The final design reflected the shipping containers used by Playful Anywhere to bring Play and Connectivity to Communities Anywhere. These wheel out miniature shipping containers, include six drawers of activities for 0-5’s. Each drawer pulls out to become a floor or table based activity for adults and children to engage in together. Drawers and activities are colour coded for easy tidy up.

Speech, Language & Communication

Simple words and symbols are printed on the inside of the boxes, and link to the activities inside.

Descriptive and onomatopoeia sounds link language to sensory experience and facilitate word learning. These words are engaging and fun, and young children can easily link them to their meaning… most especially when the objects, motions or sounds are present.

Numeracy & Maths

Maths can be learning numbers and counting, for which there are two opportunities in the mini playbox.

But maths, and understanding mathematical concepts and language is so much more: Grading, sorting, ordering into patterns, measuring, estimating, filling and emptying. These are provided for too.

‘The boxes are a welcome addition to our library spaces, providing an engaging activity for families in a space which is free and welcoming and with no time constraints on length of stay’

The overwhelmingly positive response to the initial batch of 8 Mini Playboxes, led to a roll out of Mini Playboxes across libraries in Yorkshire and Humber.

Fabricated in collaboration with ThreeCreate

Supported by Arts Council England