This small world snow scene play set is super easy to make and a great way to encourage kids story telling and imaginative play.
Why Is Small World Play So Valuable?
Children love playing in the snow but sadly it often doesn’t hang around for long and all we’re left with is dirty slush. A small world snow play scene can help children explore the fun and magic of snow play again and again and again.
It’s also a great set to explore the Winter Olympics with too!
There are many wonderful words surrounding snow but little time when real snow is actually around to make those words meaningful.
Here are just a few of the words we came up with in a quick 1 minute snow word blast:
snow, snow-flake, sleet, slush, flurry, blizzard, snowstorm, ice, frost, Jack Frost, icicle, freezing, chilly, cold, shiver, tremble, chilblains, insulate, thermal, snowball, snowball fight,snowman, toboggan, sledge, ski, slip, slide, melt, drip, rock salt, igloo, hibernation.
A small world play scene makes it possible to revisit these words many times in a fun and interactive way and helps children understand and explore new concepts.
This Small world snow Scene took just 20 minutes to make. The children loved sticking on the snow and have played with it with Playmobil and also with their toy animals and then the both together; that led to poor little ski girl getting eaten by a polar bear but that’s another story!
Hours of creative and imaginative fun for very little cost. Here’s how we did it…
Supplies To Make A small World Snow Scene
- 2 sticks
- A small lump of plasticine,
- Cotton wool or buffalo snow
- A piece of white fabric (we used a felt sheet from the pound shop but anything white would do, an old t-shirt or tea towel for example.
- Glue (We used UHU but PVA would work just as well)
- Optional – glitter.
- A base of some sort. We used a tray, a piece of thick cardboard or baking tray would work well too.
How To Make A Small World Snow Scene
Put each stick into a lump of plasticine to hold it upright.
Glue along the top of the branches and stick on small pieces of cotton wool or buffalo snow and allow to dry.
When dry spread out the white fabric on to the base and mark where you want the trees to go.
Make a small hole for each tree and disconnect it from its plasticine base to pop it through the hole. Stick it back into the plasticine and push the plasticine firmly onto the base.
Break up bits of cotton wool or buffalo snow to add hills, snowdrifts or even snowmen.
Slightly moisten your fingers to roll up little balls of cotton wool to make snowballs.
Add a sprinkling of glitter if you choose.
Get out your figures and animals and enjoy a winter scene for them to adventure in.
This activity supports Understanding The World , Expressive Arts and Design and Communication and Language: in the EYFS Early Learning Goals.
More Winter Crafts You Might Like:
Emily @amummytoo says
February 9, 2014 at 4:11 pmAdorable and sounds like a really valuable activity.
Joanne Mallon says
February 6, 2014 at 2:07 pmoh that is so cute, I love it. And now I have Kate Bush’s 50 Words for Snow in my head.
Kara says
February 6, 2014 at 1:50 pmLove this idea but mine are asking for snow almost every day – maybe I will do a beach instead
clare says
February 6, 2014 at 12:51 pmI love this idea – it is so simple but effective!
suzanne3childrenandit says
February 5, 2014 at 11:36 pmWow, what great imagination you have! Who enjoyed it more? You or the kids?! Looks such fun!
Lauren says
February 5, 2014 at 10:34 pmToo cute! I can’t wait till my baby is old enough to do things like this with! I can imagine the house will be full of things we’ve made together!
Emma "My Little 3 and Me" Smith says
February 5, 2014 at 11:25 pmWhat a lucky little one. I often think homemade is best!
jenny says
February 5, 2014 at 9:13 pmWe love small world play. Our tuff spot arrived today so hopefully we’ll be doing a lot more of it.
Emma "My Little 3 and Me" Smith says
February 5, 2014 at 11:26 pmTuffspots are so great, I’m sure you’ll have hours and hours of fun with it.
Cass@frugalfamily says
February 5, 2014 at 8:54 pmThat looks fab – thanks for sharing x
Charly Dove says
February 5, 2014 at 7:32 pmWhat a great idea! Good to know about too, we made a snowman for nursery recently so we have lots of cotton wool 🙂
Vicky (@aroundandupsidedown) says
February 5, 2014 at 6:59 pmWhat a beautiful snow scene! I know my daughter would be very keen to recreate something like this 🙂
Charlotte says
February 5, 2014 at 6:48 pmGreat idea, we did similar last year but used completely different materials – never thought of cotton wool 🙂 x
Helen @ Peakle Pie says
February 5, 2014 at 5:50 pmI love small world play – we haven’t had any snow here this year so this would be an ideal activity for us to try!
Emma "My Little 3 and Me" Smith says
February 5, 2014 at 11:28 pmWe’ve not had any luck with snow recently either. I’m hoping there’s still time though!
Jen aka The Mad House says
February 5, 2014 at 5:31 pmI love this, great for the winter olympics
Emma "My Little 3 and Me" Smith says
February 5, 2014 at 11:28 pmThanks Jen.
anna says
February 5, 2014 at 3:12 pmThis is great! I’m definitely meaning to do some small world snow play, especially now we have a tuff spot it will be perfect for containing it all!
Come and link up this up to our #pintorials linky btw, as you have put all the instructions and method how to make this scene! 🙂
Kirsty says
February 5, 2014 at 2:27 pmThere are so many twigs in the garden today blown down by this storm so we will be gathering them up for some small world play. Thanks for the inspiration!
Michelle says
February 5, 2014 at 1:43 pmA really fab idea! With the lame weather we have in the UK, this would be great to do for sunny days at the beach, or making a forest in miniature! x
Emma "My Little 3 and Me" Smith says
February 5, 2014 at 11:30 pmAbsolutely! You could easily make any kind of environment/habitat that took your fancy. I quite like the idea of trying to do a space small world set.
Jo says
March 7, 2013 at 5:00 pmLove this idea, have pinned for the future, we tried an Arctic box with shaving foam but the boys didn’t like how messy it was on their hands, so wil try this.