CREATING FASCINATING TALKING TUBS TO SUPPORT CHILD-LED LEARNING

Talking Tubs are a key part of the Floorbooks Approach, which will allow you to identify and explore children’s interests.

A Talking Tub is a box filled with a variety of objects about a specific subject. A practitioner will then allow children to take each item out one at a time and fully examine the objects, giving them time to investigate and discuss each object.

Some of the best talking tubs are created from previously identified child interests, but there a number of great topics that you can cover at the beginning of a year using a tub.

Here are our suggestions for a talking tub to kickstart your year, with suggestions as to what you can fill your tub with:

1. Summer holidays

A good topic to begin with is the summer holidays and what children did during them. Many children return to a setting very excited about what they have done over their time away. A talking tub will allow you to channel that energy.

Including items such as:

• miniature airplanes
• sand
• pictures of the sea
• a spade
• a small home
• a family
• summer clothing

It is possible that children will have developed a number of new interests to explore during their time away. You should try to create as diverse a talking tub as possible, including any experiences you know the children had. If you know a number of children went on beach holidays, include photos of beaches and the sea. A talking tub which is personalised to children will put any new children at ease.

2. Transitions

If you are with children who are just beginning nursery or primary school, a talking tub can be the perfect way to put them at ease.

Create an open forum to address some of the fears, as well as the exciting things that nursery/school can provide for them. After a month or so this topic can be revisited so that children can discuss how they have found the transition and this will hopefully allow them to see that they have been able to conquer their fears.

3. Autumn

Depending on when you go back to school, it may be the perfect time to discuss the changing seasons. Autumn is an incredibly colourful month, with many learning opportunities. Children are fascinated by Autumn due to the dramatic changes that they can see in trees, and practitioners can use this fascination to create great experiences for children.

In your talking tub you can include:

· leaves of different colours

· leaves from a range of different types of trees

· photos of forests

· a thermometer

· pictures or models of different types of animals

· different types of fabric/clothing

Autumn is a great time to explore different colours through dye-making, which is a great activity for measuring and art.

4. Local or National Culture

Exploring a topic which children hold dear to them, and may see as part of themselves, is a great way to put them at ease at the beginning of a new term. An investigation into local or national culture is a great way to explore what children have in common with each other and to celebrate their differences.

This topic can be expanded to discuss diversity and different cultures from around the world. This can be a particularly good topic during the transition from early years to primary and can encourage more shy children to talk about themselves.

The objects that you fill your tub with may vary, from flags and clothing, to photographs of local festivals and events. Some settings choose to begin with a talking tub about the nursery or school to help children feel like they are a part of the setting and to help them feel comfortable moving forward.

5. Risk

At Auchlone Nature Kindergarten, we begin every new term with a talking tub about fire. As a fully outdoor nature kindergarten, fire is an integral part of our practice, which we use for cooking as well as warmth. A lot of children who join us at Auchlone have never made their own fires before, and some have never had close access to the heat from a BBQ before.

By filling a talking tub with fire related objects, we can discuss the risks surrounding fire and teach children how to safely risk assess any situation involving fire:

• Safe distances around the fire pit
• How to light a fire
• What they should do if they have any concerns

This also lets us talk about the benefits of fire, such as creating charcoal for art and being able to cook food.

We fill our Talking Tub with:

• wood
• charcoal
• ash
• wooden figures of fire
• a flashlight
• a fire blanket
• photos of the fire pit and the fire hut
• pre-cooked snacks

This wide range of items lets us look at what fire provides, while also giving us many opportunities to discuss all of the risks involved.

What topics will you be discussing in your first few weeks? What talking tubs have you used recently and what did you fill them with?

Learn more about creating Talking Tubs with our online courses and webinars.

We also sell Talking Tubs for you to fill and use in your setting.