Small world play?

[mumofone]

Please can someone explain to me what this is? Is it a case of sticking figures in my sandpit and letting kids make up their own scenes/stories?!

[Simona]

Take a look here...it may take some time!!!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=sm...odLwgC9Q&dpr=1

[AliceK]

My small world figures are available permanently so the children can use them as and when they wish. Today I have a new 3yr old who has used lots of imagination with them in the wooden pirate ship, kept him busy for ages. This was all child initiated, I did nothing other than have the resources available for him to select as and when he wanted to.
Sometimes I will set something up for the children to use with the SW figures but most of the time they incorporate them into their play as they want to.

xxx

[FloraDora]

Like Alice K my 'small world' resources are always available and are played with the most.

I don't have a playroom but have donated the bottom cupboard of the bureau so that it is freely accessable to the LO's. ( also the doors can easily slip off To become open shelves) They are my favourite resources, some are quite old, but plastic animals don't seem to wear out!

It has 3 shelves and the bottom of the cupboard. I use oval and circle bread baskets and small plastic baskets. All on shelves not stacked so it easy for them to access...the under the sea is heavy because the whales and Sharks are dense but everything has a few things so not too heavy to get off shelf and carry.

Shelf 1: people: All about me families counters, Playmobil ( pirates, fairies, public services, families , old fashioned) lots of children, wooden multicultural people ( rarely used) Duplo figures, a mix of fisher price happy land etc... Sylvanian families.
Shelf 2: Insects, butterflies, frogs ( life cycles) worms, British country animals ( fox, badger rabbits etc..) farm animals and people, Safari and rainforest animals and people, Australian animals, snakes, cold places animals under the sea
Shelf 3: mainly around a scene : playmobil play ground, our nature reserve, space, skateboard park, Egyptian pyramid, cars, motorbikes, planes, dinosaurs
Bottom, loose materials, stones, shells,slate,pebbles,conker sect... Pieces of pretend grass grasses for bushes, a bit of wooden scenery, sparkly jewels. Wooden slices and bigger logs, curtain rings.
Baseboards, mainly made by children that fit into a medium sized gravel tray : sand, grass, water, Sky, moon, sparkly etc.. Squares of wood, mirrors.
I also keep my sorting teddies, worms, vehicles and farm animals and coloured bowls.
The LO's get out which baskets they want to add to other play, just a small basket full...or lots..but I have labelled these so easy to tidy after and a good sorting excercise.
Every couple of weeks I use the gravel tray and set up an interesting scene to invite them in ( usually based around a story) and they tend to remember these and often get the resources themselves out and set up their own scene...or just take a basket and play with the contents in their own way. Either reinacting their own experiences or with imagination.....or both. In the upstairs den they know where the doll's house, playmobil settings bases, playmats, and caves etc..and fetch them down...it would be nice to have room for them all in one place, but I have to keep reminding myself I AM NOT A NURSERY anymore !
The dining room leads outdoors so it is also easily accessable from outdoors too.

Like Simona did, just google small world and there are loads of ideas and blogs and quality papers telling you the importance of this play and giving you ideas.