A Wonderbox of fun
A quarter of children in Scotland are growing up in poverty, a situation made worse by the cost-of-living crisis. As a result, kids are missing out on opportunities to play and learn for fun. Wonderbox is a free activity pack that supports kids’ wellbeing, encourages them to explore their curiosity and builds their confidence through creativity.

Creative Director and copywriter Kirsten Murray and illustrator Loz Ives teamed up with Scottish charity, Curiosity Collective, to create this imaginative learning resource.

Each Wonderbox comes with a journal packed with ideas and activities for little wonderers to do. Like learning how to spell their name in sign language, designing a banner for a cause they care about, or writing a postcard to themselves in the future. Kids can also personalise their journals using a set of colourful stickers—from a skateboarding dinosaur to a dancing blueberry.

The characterful illustration style and playful tone of voice radiate fun in every detail—delivering a bit of joy to kids who don’t have much to feel joyful about right now.

What if Wonderbox wasn’t a box?
One of Curiosity Collective’s values is creativity. To always be asking ‘what if?’. This approach led to
the first edition of Wonderbox being delivered in a cotton drawstring bag with fabric pens for kids to colour in the illustrated characters, making each bag one of a kind. The packaging was designed to be as fun as the stuff inside it, transforming it into an opportunity for kids to play.

Coping with big feelings
A 2022 study by Action for Children found that 47% of children from low-income backgrounds worry about their family having enough money to live comfortably and that 6 in 10 children hide worries from their parents.

Writing and drawing are powerful ways for kids to cope with their feelings. Activities, like creating a ‘feelings playlist’ and doodling how their moods feel, are included in each Wonder Journal to help kids reflect on their emotions. A character called Moodle was also introduced to personify the different and often challenging emotions that young people may be experiencing.

No child left behind
Kids are naturally inquisitive and keen to explore. Rather than giving them instructions, questions and prompts were used in the writing to ignite their curiosity and give them the freedom to approach learning in a way that works for them.

The writing needed to be simple and easy to understand, without losing its sense of fun. This was especially important to make Wonderbox inclusive for kids who have additional learning needs or whose first language is not English.

To make sure the content of Wonderbox brings value to kids’ lives, focus groups were held to give them a place for their opinions to be heard. The pack also includes a postcard inviting kids to share their feedback and ideas for future Wonderbox editions.

A wonderful result
So far, Curiosity Collective has provided over 20,000 Wonderboxes to kids most in need of support. And the best bit? 95% of kids who’ve received a Wonderbox found it helped them to feel less isolated and stressed.

Chloe Goodall, Chief Executive of Curiosity Collective, says “The feedback we are receiving from young people has been overwhelmingly positive.”