Re-imagine your community
Poplar today
Real places children know — the starting point for imagining 2040.
Imagine the future
Ideas from cities being dreamed up around the world — to spark what Poplar could become.
Monday 20 July 2026
Build what Poplar could look like in 2040 — something that would help the community. Each class takes a type of building or space, builds it from junk, and together the pieces form one shared vision of future Poplar.
| Activity | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome assembly | Pre-recorded video from the iOi team that you can play to your class to welcome them to their Day of Play! | 9:00 - 9:05 |
| Time to explore | Explore the theme, focusing on communities, future and Poplar in particular. Explore junk modelling techniques through a series of hands-on activities in the classroom (led by classroom teacher, with suggested slide deck provided by iOi for you to adapt) |
Approx. 40 minutes but flexible |
| Time to design | Use the My Invention Idea resource to work in pairs to design your building or space. Get started making if you finish early. | 15 minutes but flexible |
| Time to create (part 1 optional) |
If you complete the first two sections early, get started making your community space using materials | Flexible |
| Break | Yr 1, 2 & 3: 10:20 - 10:40 Yr 4, 5 & 6: 10:40 - 11:00 |
10:20 - 11:00 |
| Time to create (part 2) |
Start making your community space using your chosen materials and techniques you learnt today11am-12pm = Parent volunteers in classes for this time | Dependent according to break time |
| Lunch | Yr 1 & 2: 12:00 - 13:00 Yr 3, 4, 5 & 6: 12:30 - 13:30 |
12:00 - 13:30 |
| Activity | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Time to create (part 3) |
Finish building your community space or if you finish early, please see our suggestions below | after lunch - 13:45 (except Yr5 & 6) |
| Deliver creations to school hall |
Grown ups to deliver all creations to school hall, ready for the city exhibition | 13:45 - 14:00 (14:20 - 14:30 for Yr 5 and 6) |
| Time to experience Poplar in 2040! |
Walk through an installation in the school hall of all the school's community spaces and reflect on your creations 14:00 - 14:10 - EYFS |
14:00 - 15:10 |
| Time to share (parents and carers' exhibition) |
Opportunity for children to show their creations to their parents and carers | 15:15 - 15:45 |
Scroll sideways on a small screen to see all nine classes.
Inspire · Nursery · sensory wall
Reception · Hope · Kindness · Wonder
Year 1 · Explore · Curiosity · Happiness
Year 2 · Friendship · Bravery · Community
Year 3 · Strength · Confidence · Compassion
Year 4 · Motivation · Growth · Determination
Year 5 · Empower · Respect · Justice
Year 6 · Aspire · Achieve · Leadership
Thrive · SEND · sensory materials
Nursery (Inspire) and Thrive build the same project: a cardboard sensory wall of holes and nooks holding things to move, touch, hear and see — Nursery leaning towards play and fine motor, Thrive towards sensory experiences. Each class makes their own in their own room, at their own pace.
Real places children know — the starting point for imagining 2040.
Ideas from cities being dreamed up around the world — to spark what Poplar could become.
In addition to this guide, we will share with you:
This is just a suggested guide, so please feel free to adapt it however you feel would work best for your class (e.g. you may want to shorten the exploration time, move it to another day, or extend building). We'd love your feedback on what worked best for your class.
| As part of Time to Explore, we would like children to… | …so you could |
|---|---|
| Think about what makes a community |
|
| Think about the future |
|
| Develop their junk modelling skills further to help them bring their ideas to life |
|
There will be some free time in the afternoon — and some classes finish early — so please have a couple of things ready. You could:
Talk through how the making went:
Design and make extra features for the exhibition:
If you have any questions or ideas, please contact Liber at liber@instituteofimagination.org.
You'll see a few familiar and new faces around the school:
Roving around the school all day to sort anything that comes up — grab us if you need something.
With Year 6, running the micro:bits.
Leading on impact — talking with staff, children and families about the difference the day makes.
Around seven extra pairs of hands, helping out in classes.
People and roles to be confirmed with Jen.
A box for each class, delivered to you by Friday 17 July:
| Masking tape | 3 |
| Lollipop sticks | 50 |
| Pipe cleaners | 120 |
| Kraft tape | 1 |
| Paper straws | 50 |
| PVA glue | 1 × 250ml bottle |
| PVA glue spreaders | 5 |
| PVA pipes (Y5 and 6 only) | 6m |
| Safe cardboard cutters (Y3–6 only) — please return these to us in the school hall | 5 |
| Scissors |
| Glue sticks |
| Variety of junk materials to build with (not just big boxes!) |
| Paint |
| Paint brushes |
| Felt tip pens |
| Other craft materials |
Quantities are provisional — final numbers to be confirmed.
Children will be able to take their creations home the following day.
To be confirmed with Jane and Jen.
Design sheet for children to draw their ideas.
Download PDF →Short film to introduce the day.
Watch on Vimeo →Technique demo deck for the whole class, with short technique videos.
PowerPoint · ~257 MB · opens in Google Drive Open & download →An editable Word document of techniques — a guide, not a rule. Pick the ones that suit the skill level of the children in your class.
Download Word doc →