7. WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

Sometimes it’s not what’s in the box that can be great fun, but the box itself. Before throwing empty boxes away, think of the hours of imaginative play they could provide. Children love a big cardboard box for crawling through, sitting in and drawing on. A huge one makes a fabulous house. A smaller one is perfect for throwing beanbags into.

For a couple of weeks, save all your empty grocery cartons like cereal boxes, egg cartons and plastic bottles with tops. Clean them up, glue down the flaps of the cardboard cartons, and you have all the stock you need for a grocery shop. You can use old coins or plastic money for added authenticity, and older children can make their own banknotes. This is great for teaching simple maths.