09/05/2026
I wanted to share a lovely in the moment experience yesterday. What started as “######x will love playing with this”, quickly turned into a fun learning interaction between friends.
We had a delivery of sleep mats yesterday (if you know you know…) so we were left with a large box, and I immediately knew one of the children would want to get inside! He has an enveloping schema which means he enjoys being enclosed, hidden, or surrounded so a big box is a dream! Activities like this help children feel secure while exploring space and movement in their own way.
As predicted he loved hiding inside while his friends took turns closing the lid and excitedly shouting “Ohhh, where’s A###xx?!” Then I would count “1, 2, 3…” before he jumped up shouting “BOO!” (of course we then repeated this 256 more times 😆)
Simple games like this offer so many valuable learning opportunities while still feeling full of fun.
It was especially lovely to see one of the children so engaged socially during the game. He often prefers to play independently, so hearing him repeatedly join in with “Where’s A###xx?” and sharing the excitement with his friends was such a positive moment ❤️
Through this very simple playful experience the children were also developing:
⭐ turn-taking and shared attention
⭐ early language and communication skills
⭐ anticipation and memory
⭐ understanding of object permanence (“he’s still there even when we can’t see him!”)
⭐ confidence in group play
⭐ social bonding and laughter with friends
⭐ Early maths skills (hearing the numbers and waiting until 3)
Sometimes the simplest activities create the most meaningful learning moments 🥰