Aquabeads supported 100 primary schools across the country with free arts and crafts resources in its Crafty Classrooms initiative.

Over 2,800 Key Stage 1 children enjoyed crafting in the classroom thanks to the resource-focused initiative, boosting their creative confidence whilst introducing teachers to the brand’s educational benefits.

Weaving in core elements of the KS1 Art Curriculum, each pack was filled with a host of materials including mini Aquabeads kits, a Mega Bead Trunk and fun activity sheets. The resources were designed to help children learn and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques while experimenting with colour and design by using their imagination to make their own creations with the original stick-with-water beads.

The feedback has shown the initiative to be a huge success with all participating teachers recognising the Aquabeads sets helped to inspire creativity in the children and encouraged them to work together. Nearly 90% of respondents said Aquabeads helped the children to use their imagination, and just under 80% said the resources helped their class to engage more actively in arts and crafts. All of the respondents said they’d recommend Aquabeads to other teachers and schools.

Teachers shared their experiences of the sessions and observed that the pupils created animals and used them in small world play and gave the animals names and talked about where they would find them. An overarching response was that the children were “able to be individual with their ideas” supporting the child-led creative process of making Aquabeads. In addition, many of the teachers spoke of playing with Aquabeads with their own children which had inspired them to apply for the campaign.

Epoch’s Matt Shaw said: “Aquabeads offers so many educational and developmental benefits. It helps children to develop creative skills, dexterity and patience, all while enjoying themselves. Aquabeads naturally lends itself to art sessions in a classroom setting and we’ve been thrilled by the feedback we’ve received from the participating schools; the Crafty Classrooms initiative has clearly demonstrated Aquabeads’ capacity for inspiring imaginations and encouraging creativity.”

For more information about Epoch Making Toys, contact sales@epochmakingtoys.com or telephone 0208 049 1377.