The Country Trust: Farm in a Box
Developed for The Country Trust, the Farm in a Box programme was designed to support hands-on learning experiences for primary school pupils through sensory and nature-based educational activities.
I was commissioned to create a series of Early Years word banks and supporting materials designed to encourage curiosity, confidence and engagement with farming, food production and the natural environment.
The brief:
To design visually engaging and accessible educational resources for young children, combining illustration, language learning and sensory activities in a format that felt playful, approachable and easy to use.
The audience:
The materials were designed primarily for Early Years pupils and educators, requiring content to remain highly visual and suitable for children with varying reading abilities.
The challenges:
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Designing resources suitable for very young audiences
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Translating agricultural and natural-world concepts into clear, recognisable illustrations
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Balancing educational content with engaging and playful visuals
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Ensuring materials remained clear and easy to navigate for both children and teachers
The solution:
This was a real test of my illustration skills. I needed to distil often quite complicated concepts into images that were immediately recognisable to young children, while still being accurate enough to teach something. Colour, playful graphic elements and a consistent visual language helped bring the materials to life, with clear and uncluttered layouts supporting easy use in the classroom.
The result:
The finished resources turned a broad range of farming, food and nature topics into accessible, engaging learning tools. The combination of illustration, language and practical activities gave children different ways into the subject matter, while providing teachers with clear and flexible resources to support hands-on learning.
