When children were challenged to find the weirdest place to enjoy a book, young readers at Ramsgate Arts Primary had their teachers lost for words.
Organiser of the challenge Early Years Foundation Studies lead Sophie Spurrier said: “We were speechless at some of the lengths our pupils went to on this challenge.
“The film evidence they sent into us for teachers to judge were brilliant, odd and funny – one girl even videoed herself reading in the pitch dark which was hilarious.”
The crazy places that RAPS children settled down to enjoy a chapter or two included reading through the letterbox, on top of a car, in the sea, in a washing machine, under the bed, in a wardrobe, bouncing on a trampoline, inside a shopping bag, and in a vintage car.
Other locations included upside down on the sofa, in the middle of a gunfight between siblings, on the rocks at sunset, standing on one leg, inside a home-made cardboard castle, out and about in Ramsgate, on top of a pet, in the bath, on the loo, and reading to their favourite teddy bears and dolls.
The fun competition involved all age groups and there was an enthusiastic response to the idea.
Head of School Nick Budge said: “The idea really caught on. Children and their families went out of the way to find some really very different places to enjoy their books.
“It was just another way that we are keeping children engaged with their studies during the lockdown period.
“Enjoying books and experiencing the delight of letting your imagination get lost in a good story is essential to our literacy development.
“The competition was so successful we are going to hold it again later this year – we are intrigued to see what our RAPS readers will come up with next.”
After much deliberating the judges decided that the top prizes of a £10 voucher each went to Daisy from Reception, Scarlett from Year 2 and Izabella from Year 6.
Class winners who will each receive a £5 book voucher were Team Spurrier- Harriet; Team Smart- Justin; Team Barnes – Loki; Team O’Flaherty – Fenix; Team Rees-Boughton – Domnika; Team Okai – Penny; Team Amin – Ethan; Team Gunson – Piper; Team Dannell – Lucy; Team Beraet/Williams – Phoebe.