Nursery World - Little by little

When they enter nursery, children will probably already be familiar with small-world play, but it can be offered anew in all areas of your setting Most young children will have engaged with small-world play before they ever arrive in an educational setting. It is unlikely, however, that their families will ever have called it that! Playing with cars, trains, doll's houses, farm and zoo animals and a range of commercially produced toy people will simply have been an integral part of childhood.

Most young children will have engaged with small-world play before they ever arrive in an educational setting. It is unlikely, however, that their families will ever have called it that! Playing with cars, trains, doll's houses, farm and zoo animals and a range of commercially produced toy people will simply have been an integral part of childhood.

If children appear interested in one particular theme - for example, trains or dinosaurs - then this interest is likely to be supported by families, not only with new toys being bought to feed the play, but also by being encouraged to return to their favourites again and again. It seems logical that such provision should find itself in educational settings too, allowing children to bring their enthusiasms with them. Small-world play is rightly an indispensable part of continuous provision in early years settings.

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