Kids can create a small world dinosaur habitat with recycled jar lids. Include land, sea and sky in a small world scene with animal figurines.

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There's nothing small about small world play! Especially when it comes to dinosaurs.

• Small world play builds imagination; supports fine motor and language skills; explores new ideas and environments.

You can easily inspire dinosaur small world play with a recycled cardboard box, some jar lids, and a variety of loose parts.

With jar lids in different sizes and colors, kids can create an environment for their animal figurines that includes land, sea, and sky.

Related: Creative play ideas with jar lids

The small parts can be arranged and rearranged as kids think about the scene they want to create. The possibilities are endless where kids imaginations are concerned.

Let's start building a dinosaur landscape!

Create a dinosaur small world scene

1. Prepare a cardboard box.

For this activity, I used a box measuring 10" x 15.5" (25cm x 39cm) but you can use any size box or tray you have on hand.

I trimmed the box down, leaving a raised edge approximately 1" (2.5cm) to prevent loose parts from slipping out of the box. The depth of the box is your preference.

I lined the box with a piece of corrugated cardboard. The rippled texture provides added sensory play to the activity. But you can use flat cardboard, felt, or any other material you have on hand.

2. Provide a variety of loose parts to complete the environment.

• jar lids - different sizes, colors, shapes, textures to support sensory play, fine motor play, and creative play
• stones, artificial leaves
• clothespins and play dough
• dinosaur toys - mini dinosaurs  or these slightly larger dinosaur figures complete with an interactive sound book (aff. links)

Materials will depend on your preferences, and items you have on hand. 

Provide as many or as few items as you think are needed for the activity -  enough for kids to make choices without being overwhelmed. 

3. Place jar lids in the box to define natural landscapes.

You can use jar lid colors to define land and sea. You can also create the sky, complete with a few white clouds.

Make a tree by inserting an artificial leaf into a clothespin. Support the tree by inserting the clothespin into a piece of play dough or clay. 

Create plant life by pressing artificial leaves into small pieces of play dough.

Continue adding small parts to complete the dinosaur scene.

Place dinosaurs into the different areas where they might live.

This is an open-ended activity. Results will depend on kids creativity and imaginations. 

The learning is in the play: engineering the landscape; fitting small parts together in the space; counting and sorting jar lids; creating stories for the dinosaurs.

Fun dinosaur play with a small world habitat

This is a fun activity for home or the classroom. Make the small world scene available for kids to access during the day, to make changes or discuss the habitat.

Kids can rearrange the small parts needed to fit a certain space, to tell a story, or to accommodate information acquired in a dinosaur thematic unit.

Make open-ended play a part of your daily schedule to inspire and reinforce early learning.

More dinosaur fun!

Dinosaur Lesson Plans (aff. link)

Dinosaur Science