Small World

The small world area of a reception classroom is a surprisingly popular part of the room. It gets equal attention from both boys and girls, plus it can be made exciting and interesting quickly and cheaply.

I tend to change the small world area every two weeks. Sometimes more regularly but that is the general rule I go by. The children love the simplicity of a farm set up or the dolls house. I try to be as creative as I can with my small world, adding grass, sand or leaves to add a realistic element. 

My most popular small worlds are the farm, dinosaurs, the dolls house and the mini beasts. 


I have gathered some excellent evidence in the small world area of my room. It can be a great spot to observe quieter children playing alongside others, creating characters for toys and really showing off an imaginative side I may have otherwise missed.


The small world area is also great for getting the children involved in developing the learning environment. I regularly get the children to suggest ideas for the small world and help them to create it. 


I would be interested to know how other people use their small world areas - how often to you change it? What set ups have worked well? Do you link it to your topic or theme?