Has your child ever gotten a gift and they were more interested in the box than the gift? Not A Box by Antoinette Portis is an ideal picture book to facilitate creative thinking and play with a young child. How many things can you create with a box? In this best selling book, Antoinette Portis takes both you and your child on an adventure of all different things you do with a cardboard box. A box can be tall mountain! It can be a race car or a burning building! A box can really be whatever you imagine it to be. Albert Einstein once said that “Play is the highest form of research”. Play is essential to learning, building social skills, developing fine and gross motor skills and problem solving.
Language and Learning Tips with Not a Box: When reading Not A Box, leave out words and let your child fill the sentence in. For example, when you read the book, say “It’s not a box, it’s a ______”. Let your child fill in the word (e.g. “building”, “car”, etc). If your child needs help, give choices. Ask questions and encourage creative thoughts. As a carryover activity, take an empty box and make your own creation with it. My kids often use the cardboard box as a seat for them to read books (see picture below). They love to decorate the box by adding stickers, coloring or painting it.
To learn more about being creative and encouraging your child’s imagination during play, check out my interview with Antoinette Portis here. Also, check out Antoinette’s other book, Not A Stick.
