Boxes of Wonder: Creation of the program with children on the move

Boxes of Wonder: Creation of the Program with Children on the Move is a manual presenting the use Boxes of Wonder (BoW), an innovative conceptual framework for structuring the programs of direct work with children on the move. BoW are, at the same time, a set of physical boxes that facilitate the creation of meeting spaces for children and practitioners. They offer thematic frameworks for activities, ideas, and materials that are available and highly relevant for children. This space simultaneously invites adults to listen to the children and their perspectives. Boxes of Wonder facilitate exploration of possible ways to enable meaningful children’s participation, building quality exchange with children, and the creation of a context which is supportive to their well-being and development. Therefore, the Boxes of Wonder manual is recommended for both experts and those who are somewhat less experienced in the development of programs relating to children on the move, and other potentially vulnerable groups.

This innovative methodology was developed in the framework of Save the Children’s response to the refugee and migrant crisis in Serbia, a primary transit country in the Western Balkans Route, and published by SCI Balkans Migration and Displacement Hub (Belgrade, Serbia). The aim of the methodology is to provide meaningful and comprehensive psycho-social support for children on the move. It has also proven to be very useful in non-formal education programming as well. The use of BoW toolkit in non-formal education is documented and recognized as a Promising Practice in Refugee Education by the consortium of Save the Children, Pearson’s,  and UNHCR. The “Programming on the Move: Development and implementation of innovative and flexible participatory educational programmes for children on the move” Case Study is also available through the Resource Centre, accessible here.