ARP Warden Loan Box
How would you have coped in Carmarthenshire during the war? Find out by borrowing this box, which focuses on the ARP Warden. What was an ARP Warden, and what were their duties? Why was their role so important? And – most importantly of all – why were KitKats blue?!
We have two of these boxes available for schools and educational groups to borrow.
Contents
This education loan box contains:
1 x Helmet
1 x Blue jacket
1 x Fire Warden arm band
1 x ARP Warden arm band
1 x Gas rattle
1 x Shoulder bag
1 x A copy of a food rationing book
Printed material
1 x KitKat (inedible!)
Recommended activities
Handling artefacts enquiry
- Examine the medical bag, coins, ration books, and gas attack poster to understand what they reveal about life on the Home Front.
Air raid drill simulation
- Practise moving safely, blackout procedures, and communicating using the warning horn and whistle.
Rationing investigation
- Examine ration books and the KitKat chocolate bar supplied to the army to discuss food shortages and fairness.
Propaganda and posters
- Analyse the gas attack poster and discuss how information and fear were managed during the war.
Creative writing
- Write a diary entry, a letter, or an incident report from a warden's perspective, based on the experience of someone living through the Blitz.
Curriculum Connections
Humanities (Focus on History)
- Cause and effect — exploring why air raids occurred and how communities responded.
- Identity, culture and community — understanding collective responsibility, resilience, and community roles during the Second World War.
Languages, Literacy and Communication
- Oracy — discussing artefacts, presenting findings, and participating in role-play.
- Writing for a purpose — reports, persuasive posters, or narrative accounts based on wartime experiences.
Expressive Arts
- Visual design — designing wartime-style posters or creating replicas of identity cards or ration books.
Health and Well-being
- Understanding risk and safety — discussing air raid precautions, community safety, and emotional resilience.
Mathematics and Numeracy
- Money and budgeting — exploring the pre-decimal currency system and ration allowances.
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