Shoebox Activity

The shoebox activity was such a great activity. It allowed us to see what was important to each of our classmates. We each brought a shoebox with artifacts that represented us. It seemed as though many of us had a theme of fmaily and relationships. There were also materialistic items; however each one had its own significant meaning and reason of value. The five items that I brought were: My wedding ring - Symbolizing my bond and love of my husband. I feel that we are truly soul-mates. He is what keeps me grounded and even after 7 years, I love him more and more each day. A picture of my children - They are my world! I live and breathe for them! A bible - My faith is very important to me and I wanted something to symbolize it. I chose this Bible because it was a recent gift from my mother-in-law. It has been passed down for several generations. The next 2 items were a bit more difficult, I chose hand sanitizer and a candle. The hand sanitizer symbolizes our daily routines, procedures, and adaptations needed to keep my daughter healthy as she battles cystic fibrosis. The candle symbolizes my "me time." Very rarely do I get time, but when I do I like bubblebaths, aromatherapy, or anything else that helps calm me. This activity is a great extension for a story about pioneers or others in history that have had to pack only a few things and leave everything else behind. It really gets children to think deeper and realize what is important to them. They also get to know a lot about their classmates.