Feely Box

The feely box aims to encourage tactile knowledge and choices about textures and colours

Checklist of items you will need...

Practical Tips

The box can be any large cardboard box with an open end and a closed end with a hole in it just large enough to put a hand through.

We found a circular duster made of soft fibres which allowed you to put your hand in the box but not to see what you are touching, otherwise create a 'curtain' or attach a tube of stretch fabric.

Place the objects inside the box and ask the young person to feel each one, say whether they like it or not, what it reminds them of etc.

Keep each selected item separate from those rejected inside the box until all items have been felt.

When the selection process is complete, ask the young person to pick their favourite colour from a rainbow range of colour samples for household paints (Dulux colour mixing ranges) before they look at the selected feely items.

Place the chosen colour onto the scanner bed and arrange the chosen items around the colour strip, discussing what each one is. Scan and print on photo quality heavyweight paper for best results (this can be done as a separate activity). Attach final print to a side of the Living Box. Upload image to passport.

The Body Shop yielded some good 'feelies' such as loofa pads, cotton wool, wooden hand massagers, pumice stone, etc. Other materials such as scraps of fabric, textured papers, metal mesh, a balloon, a feather, etc. came from a local art and craft shop. Keep colours neutral where possible and have roughly half soft textures, half hard or sharp textures with some surprises!