Bristol nursery to benefit from B&P boxes

Bristol based, Ilminster Avenue Nursery School, hit the headlines last month when it announced that it had removed all toys from its nursery and replaced them with cardboard boxes and other everyday objects.

The result was a group of children, aged from 2 to 4, who began to engage with each other, use their imaginations and enjoy trips to the seaside in cardboard box cars, explored space in cardboard box rockets and generally had a whole heap of fun without any of the perceptions associated with modern day toys.

“We saw the feature on the local news and in the national papers and knew that we were ideally placed to support the nursery in its return to traditional playtimes, courtesy of the cardboard box,” said Andy Clarke Managing Director Boxes and Packaging (Bristol). “We’ve arranged to supply them whenever the others begin to get a little tired and can help out with larger boxes, which are harder to come by, but which make great houses and aeroplanes!”

Based on a German experiment, the children have had a wonderful time and, whilst other toys will be integrated into learning through play, the emphasis will remain on imaginative play helping children to problem solve, create and communicate.

Matt Caldwell Head Teacher at Ilminster Avenue Nursery School commented; “We removed all the toys from the classrooms and brought in lots of natural open-ended materials, which we have already but we decided that we were really going to go for it and see what happened. It goes without saying that the biggest draw was, of course, a cardboard box! We warmly thank the team at Boxes and Packaging Bristol for their future support so that the children can enjoy many more happy hours of play and adventures all thanks to the cardboard box.”

• Thanks to Ilminster Nursery for their kind permission to use the photo