What is small world play?
Small world play is a type of imaginary play that uses small toys and props to help your child to act out scenes from their daily life, or create fantasy worlds of their own!
This type of play provides your child with opportunities to develop ideas, concepts such as size and position, fine motor skills, vocabulary and communication skills.
There is no right or wrong way to play in a small world, so your child gets the chance to explore and make sense of the world in a safe environment.
Setting up a small world based on your child’s special interest is a great way to encourage engagement.
You don’t have to have a lot of expensive resources – many items can be found around the house or in your local environment.
Ideas for items:
- Large/medium shallow tubs, for example – underbed storage boxes, cat litter trays, ice cream tubs
- Card and paper
- Lolly sticks
- Toilet roll tubes
- Empty egg boxes
- Sand and soil
- Stones and shells
- Tree branches, sticks and twigs, bark
- Dried pulses, rice, beans
- Small animals, sea creatures, buildings, dinosaurs, figures, cars
- Pieces of fabric, tinfoil, carpet samples, artificial grass samples
- Playdoh
- Plant pots
- Large rocks and pebbles
Top tips:
- Get creative: you could make your own small world characters for your child to play with – cut out pictures from magazines and stick them on lolly sticks, or use toilet roll tubes to create a whole family
- Set up the play space with your child: choose appropriate figurines, props, and background materials together
- Model language and concepts: introduce relevant vocabulary based on the setting, and encourage your child to elaborate on their play
- Support your child’s imaginative play: extend your child’s story by adding elements or asking questions that prompt further creativity
