A theme box is a box containing related items, centered around a theme. To get started creating a theme box, choose a theme, add the items to the box, and present it to your kids. It is best to have several theme boxes and have only one out at a time. These are best received if used infrequently and on special occasions.

Below are examples of themes and the items the boxes can contain.

1. Tea Party: tea party dishes, hats, gloves, dresses, handbags, tablecloth, napkins, stuffed animals

2. Dress Up: old clothes, hats, wigs, shoes, coats, scarves, etc.

3. Library: books, stamp pad, date stamp, index cards

4. Art Box: variety of art supplies including crayons, paper, scissors, paste, gluestick, colored pencils, artists smock

5. Beauty/Barber Shop: brushes combs, curlers, mirror, pretend hairdryer, spray, etc.

6. Gardening: seed packets, trowel, shovel, old gloves, soil in a pot, watering container

7. Hospital or Veterinary: lab coat, doctor bag with doctor items, stuffed animals for patients

8. Camping: pup tent or blanket for making a tent, old cookware, canteen, backpack, flashlight,

9. Magician Box: cape, wand, hat, scarf, flowers, stuffed rabbit, magic stuff

10. School: chalk and chalkboard, paper, pencils, books, pretend eyeglasses, etc.

11. Grocery Store: empty food boxes, cans, box of paper money and coins, receipts, coupons

12. Post Office: junk mail and catalogs, rubber stamp, stickers to use for stamps, play money, mail pouch, badge

13. Carpenter: play or real tools, hardware apron, bucket, hardhat, flannel shirt, lunch pail, tape measure, boards

14. Zoo Keeper: stuffed animals, chairs for cages, feeding dishes

15. Restaurateur: plastic plates, cups, silverware, menu, tablecloth, napkins, apron, old cookware, spatula, spoons

Along with any props, you could make it the theme of the day, like a unit study, that would include books on any of the subjects, fieldtrips, and other reinforcement activities.