Cardboard Box Small World Play
Small world play is easy to set up with a cardboard box and a few mini toys from the toy box. The simple ideas in this post will help spark imagination and creativity for some awesome pretend play.
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Special delivery! There's always a bit of excitement when a package arrives in the mail box or at your door. You can hardly wait to see what's inside!
Wondering what's inside isn't the only thing that sparks interest. As teachers and parents, we also get excited about the possibilities for using the empty boxes for kids activities.
Small world play, like pretend play, promotes role-playing and story-telling, two important activities for building kids early developmental skills. Imaginative play is easy to set up with everyday materials and cardboard boxes, whether big cardboard boxes for dramatic play, or small sized boxes for small world play.
Here are a few examples of ways we've used boxes for creating small world scenes.
Create small world play with a cardboard box
I'm sharing ideas for a small world house, a car garage, and a pet shop.
These projects were inspired by the packaging that is sometimes inside a box, separating it into compartments. These sections resemble 'rooms' or other areas that help create a small world scene.
The boxes is this tutorial are portable. The lids can be closed with (most of) the materials inside, making them easy to set up, invite hands-on play, then close and store for another play time.
These small world ideas may inspire other options. Use materials you have on hand to create your own versions of these small world play ideas for your preschooler.
Related: Farmyard play with a cardboard box
1. How to set up a small world house
Here's a look at the empty box we used to make a miniature doll house.
The box has a firmly molded cardboard insert which is ideal for separating rooms in a tiny house.
We used a hodgepodge of small doll house furniture and odds and ends from the craft box.
- The flower pot by the fireplace is made with a small clipping from an artificial flower stem, inserted into a tiny plastic pot. A thimble would also make an excellent flower pot.
- The double bed is from a modern doll house. Fortunately the cardboard mold was flexible enough to allow this bed to squeeze into the space.
- The smaller children's bed is quite old, hand painted by a family member.
- The fridge and stove are also quite old, passed down from an earlier play set.
Choosing and placing the pieces is part of the fun and learning. Furnishings and characters can be selected, arranged, and rearranged, in many different ways.
The taller items can be laid down in order to close the box for storing, transporting to a play area, or taking along when traveling.
Related: Mini felt board for traveling with kids.
2. How to set up a small world car garage
This is the inside of a different empty box. We used this box for a parking garage, and for the pet shop that follows.
The corrugated cardboard forms two levels, suggesting the possibility of a staircase or a ramp.
A ramp, parking spaces, and even a landing pad for a helicopter are all included in this small world parking garage.
- You can also make a simple cardboard parking garage for a color sorting activity like this one at My Bored Toddler.
There are lots of creative ways to play with toy cars. Provide the toys and simple props and watch imaginations soar!
3. How to set up a small world pet shop
A dog kennel or pet shop is fun to set up with animal. This is the same box we used for the previous parking garage.
Toy dogs can be purchased online or at a dollar store.
We added a green foam pad for a 'grassy' outdoor space.
A piece of corrugated cardboard makes a ramp for the pets to access the upper level.
Build imaginations with small world pretend play
A small world scene inspires a world of imagination and creativity for preschoolers.
Extend the excitement of your next delivery by using the packing box for small world play!
