Marvellous Me Box

At my son’s pre-school they have a little activity called “Marvellous Me’ box. The idea is that the child takes a plastic box home with him/her and fills it with things that are special to them before bringing it back to school where they are then encouraged to talk about what they have put in it to a small group.

Personally I think it’s a great idea. It’s a good way for the key workers within the pr-school to get to know the students a little better and for the students to get to know each other more too. Additionally, I love the literacy and communication aspect of it. My son needs no encourage to speak…he never shuts up but it will help him create more complexed sentences and developed answers. 

I thought it would be nice to share what he decided to put in his box. In all honesty, he was guided a little on the basis that he is three years old and didn’t really understand what ‘things that are special to him” meant so we discussed that and went from there.

1) Photographs

I had quite a few photos printed through the Free Prints app a while ago so I got them out and let him pick the ones that he liked or thought were special. He picked a picture of himself with his little sister (cute!), one of his group of friends from our NCT group at Christmas and one of himself with a couple of friends at our Halloween party last year. While wondering around the house he also pictured up his snow globe picture from visiting Santa at Carr Gate Garden Centre at Christmas. Finally, I got out the large picture from our holiday to Australia when we visited Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures where we met a koala.

2) Dress Up and Toys

I pretty much let Little L have free rein on this and he picked his favourite dressing up outfit, his Spiderman costume then emerged from the playroom with an armful of PJ Masks toys. It’s fair to say that PJ Mask has took over Paw Patrol in our house but only slightly. The conversation went along the lines of

Me: L, you can’t put all your PJ Masks toys in the box.

L: Why?

Me: Bcause it has to be the most special. What’s your favourite?

L: Catboy and Owlette and Gecko

Me: No, pick one.

L: Catboy and Gecko

Me: One favourite L.

L: Catboy…and Gecko

Me: One

L: Catboy,

So thats who went in. We got there eventually, ha ha!

He also picked his Jellyfish which he has had since we went to Lisbon in February 2017. He bloody loves this random thing and Jellyfish are his favourite when we go to the aquarium. It’s sunken and lost half its tentacles but that’s because he plays with it so much! It currently resides in the bathroom as he has it as a bath toy. I’m actually on the look out for another to replace this one! Finally, I suggested the Paw Patrol spinner. This was for two reasons:

a) he got it when we went to see Paw Patrol Live so I knew it would give him something to talk about.

b) the thing cost me TWENTY WHOLE POUNDS(!) so I’m making sure we get our money’s worth. He’s been told he has to play with it till he’s 18 for the same reason.

3) Magnet Memories

He went through a phase of showing this to everyone so I think it’s special to him. I’m not inclined to buy the pictures from rides usually but this was his first ever rollercoaster and I hadn’t managed to get a picture myself so I wanted this memory. He was so brave and obviously takes after his parents with his love of rides. This one was at Clifton Park in Rotherham. A great place to visit, especially in the summer.

4) A book – Mucky Mabel

“This is the tale of Mucky Mabel, who had no manners at the table…”

This book is special to me as well as my son. He loves reading it and because it rhymes he can finish the sentences really well now. I love it because my mum read it to me as a child. In fact, me and Mum can resight at least the first few pages to this day. I prefer reading our little man books with a rhythm and this one has a moral as Mabel has very bad table manners and gets her comeuppance.

Overall I’m really proud of what the boy has created in his Marvellous Me box and it was lovely to hear him chat about what everyone thought on the walk home from pre-school. The walk home from school is one of my favourite times because he actually talks to me and tells me things without being distracted by TV, toys and food like he is at home. Well, apart from when he running ahead and I’m shouting “Not too far! If you can’t see me, I can’t see you!”

Does your child do a Marvellous Me box? What kind of things did they put in/do you think they would put in? What would you put in a box like this if you had to create one? Comment below or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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