Objective

To guide teachers in creating a ‘Grill Box’ for improving memory skills in children.

Estimated time to create the grill box

30 to 40 minutes

Materials required for creating the grill box

1. Medium-sized cardboard box (shoe box or packaging box)
2. Black chart paper
3. Orange and yellow coloured paper (for flames)
4. Fevicol or glue gun
5. Scissors/cutter
6. White and coloured sketch pens
7. Small wooden (bamboo) sticks or straws (for skewers)
8. Coloured beads
9. Print outs of coloured circles (one, two and many colours)

Preparation for activity

1. Ensure all craft materials are ready before starting.
2. If using a cutter, supervise carefully or pre-cut cardboard sections for children.
3. Keep reference pictures in the form of print outs of coloured circles ready.

Procedure

• Base Structure:
• Take a cardboard box and cut out a rectangular opening on the top surface. This will serve as the grill area.

• Grill Surface:
• Cover the outer surface of the cardboard box with thick black paper.

• Fire Bed:
• Inside the box, stick orange and yellow colour paper to resemble flames. Add small scrunched-up balls of yellow and orange paper bits and black chart paper bits to look like charcoal.

• Skewers:
• Create two cuts on the top surfaces to place the skewers. Place the bamboo sticks as skewers.
• Show the print out with one coloured circle to the child. 
• Ask the child to pick the correct colour bead and insert the skewer into it.
• Continue this activity with two colours by showing a print out with two coloured circles and follow it up with many coloured circles.

Step by Step Pictures to create the Learning Teaching Material

Important Tips

1. Use strong cardboard to make the grill durable.
2. Instead of aluminium foil, silver gift wrapping paper can also be used.
3. Encourage children to decorate the box with chalk or sketch pen designs.
4. The grill box can be adapted for themes like ‘community helpers’ (chef, vendor), ‘safety’ (talking about fire), or ‘festivals’ (barbecue night).

Precautions

1. Ensure children do not use real fire, candles or hot objects with the grill box.
2. While cutting cardboard, handle the scissors/cutter carefully.
3. Avoid using small detachable items that can be a choking hazard for younger children.

Troubleshooting:

1. If the aluminium foil surface gets torn, replace it with a new sheet.
2. Loose cellophane flames can be stapled or taped inside the box securely.
3. If the grill box loses shape, reinforce with extra cardboard strips inside.

Notes to the Teacher

The Grill Box can be used as:

• A storytelling prop (e.g. chef character, cooking scenes).
• A role-play tool for community helpers (restaurant, street vendor).
• A concept aid to discuss safety, cooking methods, or healthy food choices. It encourages imaginative play, social interaction and vocabulary building.

Using the Learning Teaching Material

Teachers can first demonstrate a pretend cooking scene.

Students can then take turns role-playing as chefs or customers, enhancing creativity and communication.

The activity can be extended into group projects where children make paper ‘food items’ to grill.

Video: How to use Learning Teaching Material

Source and Attribution of images All images used in the above Assets and Aids are originally created.

This digital material has been developed by the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini Inclusive Education Project, a unit of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, as a collaborative offering in the service of our nation.