Continent Boxes 101

Continent boxes are a Montessori must-have, yet they can be expensive and time consuming to build. When I first began teaching, I raided my parents’ curio cabinet and ‘borrowed’ souvenirs from their travels around the world.  This worked great initially, but I found myself in a bind as things broke or as pieces of items became worn through handling. I decided to reassess the continent boxes and rebuild them with everyday items that children could handle and explore without the worry of breaking something sentimental. After many years of a new collection process, I am pleased and proud of the boxes and the items I have available to my students.  At this point, I seem to have enough items to have continent boxes for home and school! Recently I’ve had several inquiries about the contents, cost and variety in the boxes. I compiled a simple list of “Do’s” for building continent boxes.  Here is how I built mine!

 

 

 



1.     DO start by purchasing 7 plastic shoe boxes, and one display tray or basket.

I bought my original Boxes at Wal-Mart and they are still intact 15 years later! I designated each box to hold its contents by tracing the shape of a continent on the lid. I also made labels for the side of each box.

 

Next I placed 6 (Antarctica excluded and used later on) of the 7 boxes on my Geography shelf empty, yes empty. When children initially went over and asked about the empty boxes, I explained that I was going to be filling each box with Items from the different continents. Process over product- voila!

 

On the top of the Geography shelf, I placed a collection tray.  Then, in typical Montessori fashion, I began with the children.  I encouraged them to collect sticks and leaves outside on the playground.  We brought them inside and tied the sticks in bundles with ribbon and laminated leaf samples. The sticks and leaves sat for a while in the collection tray (I added a magnifying glass for interest) but then one day, I placed them in the North America box. This tray still holds sticks and other items collected from nature!

2.     DO add pictures

Next, I snapped a few pictures of the trees that gave us the sticks and leaves. I matted them on construction paper (orange of course for North America) and placed those in the North America box.

 

And then the questions began. What can we put in the South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica boxes? What kinds of trees grow there?

 

After skimming many reference books, consulting families who had ties outside the United States, and then heading to the internet, we identified at least two types of trees commonly found on each of the other continents. I printed, matted, and laminated pictures and we added them in! Now each box (except Antarctica) had a photo album to discover!

 

3.     DO add household items

Adding household items was an easy task. My kitchen alone was a goldmine for household items. A few tablespoons of coffee beans in a jar went into the South American box.  Cinnamon (Sri Lanka) went into the Asia box, couscous went into the Africa box, and Irish steel-cut oats landed in the Europe box.

**On a side note, each of these store nicely in recycled baby food jars with lids.

 Next I looked in my wallet. A few American coins made a nice addition to the North America box.

 My vanity also contained a few add-INS. It held several gift soaps from France and I had a few empty perfume bottles too…Into Europe they went!

 

4.     DO put everyone on notice

At this point, I had many items in each box with the exception of Australia and Antarctica.  So I put everyone on notice. I casually mentioned “hey I’m looking for things made in Australia, so before you throw anything away, can you double check and if it has anything to do with Australia- throw it my way?” It was long shot but I ended up with a kangaroo ornament, a souvenir boomerang and a small stuffed kiwi beanie baby. I also went and grabbed an Outback Restaurant carry-out menu and snapped a few pictures of the restaurant décor (matted and added to the box).

 

5.     DO ask for a keepsake

As teachers, we are likely left behind while others getaway for business or pleasure. I made it a common practice to ask children and adults to bring something back. Items I asked for depended on the destination.

               

Cities: Postcards, menus, shot glasses, magnets, hotel soaps and photographs

               

Beaches: a jar of sand, seashells, coral, driftwood

 

International: hand-crafts such as bracelets, key chains, weavings, beadwork,     and pottery.

 

    6.     DO shop yard sales, thrift stores, and closeouts

Finally I often shopped, and still shop, for musical instruments, artwork, dishes, and wooden crafts at yard sales, second hand stores and closeout sales.  When I tell the seller I’m a teacher and would like certain items for my classroom, they typically give the item to me for free or for a very nominal price.

7.     DO make the Antarctica box a sensorial experience.

I generally do not place the Antarctica box on the shelf, because once a year, I fill it with water and freeze it during the continent study. For the little ones, I add in some fish and marine life. This is a dramatic lesson and includes discussing the process of melting polar ice caps, and the scientist that study there.

 

 

 

Hope this helps you fill those boxes. Before you know it, you will have enough to display items in your home and rotate on a monthly basis. Happy collecting!