A small world scene in winter is a fun pretend play activity for kids. Build a tiny town with miniature cardboard houses, and big imaginations. Display the little village for everyone to enjoy.
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Small world play is big time fun! This idea for a village scene is an awesome way to get hands-on with small world play.
The whole family will enjoy this seasonal project. Grownups and kids can work together to create a little town with a winter or Christmas theme.
A small world village can be as creative as your imagination allows. Everyone’s project will look different and unique.
Christmas village small world play
This activity uses a basic template for the houses in the village. It was inspired by a part of the packaging from a product box.
The houses will be the starting point for making the village. Details can be added as you imagine and create.
The items you use will depend on available materials and your imagination.
Here are a few things to get you started.
- cardboard
- cotton balls or stuffing
- small pine cones
- mini decorations
- mini figures – fences, characters, cardboard cutouts
We made these little fences for a small world farmyard.
The snowman is cut from a Christmas card.
The girl in the red coat is a Christmas ornament.
How to make the cardboard house.
The cardboard template for the house measures 4.25 x 4.75 inches (10.5 cm x 12 cm).
Cut straight up from the bottom edge to form a doorway 1 x 4 inches (2.5 x 10 cm), approximately 1.25 inches (3 cm) from the side of the house.
The top portion of the door remains attached to the house like a hinge. It supports the house when it is placed in the small world scene.
Your house can take on any dimensions, and the doorway can be centered if preferred.
Cut each house from cardboard. Bend the cut-away portion back to reveal the doorway. This portion also serves as a stand to support the house.
Here are some ideas for finishing the houses.
- Color with crayons or markers.
- Cover with decorative paper.
- Paint with craft paint.
- Decorate with Christmas decorations.
How to assemble the small world village
Provide a surface on which to build your village.
This can be a large tray, a table top, or a spot on the floor.
- If you set it up on the floor, use a piece of plywood or sturdy cardboard as a base for the town, so it can be moved out of the way when necessary.
Cover the surface with a white tablecloth or sheet, or white craft foam.
Place your houses in the village.
Houses can be placed randomly or along a ‘street’.
Houses can be grouped together or set apart from each other.
A separate area can be created for a forest or field or shopping mall.
Add snow and other features to the village scene.
Place wisps of cotton batting snow in yards and around fences.
Outline paths between the houses with ‘snow’. You can even make a snow hill for sledding!
- Make a sled with a small rectangle of corrugated cardboard. Roll one end of the cardboard around your finger or a pencil to form the front of the sled.
Add toy animals, people and other props.
Sprinkle pine cone trees with paper confetti, or add tiny bits of cotton fluff snow.
Classroom project
This can be a fun group project in homeschool or in the classroom. Set up a table in a corner of the room and cover with a white cloth. Provide cardboard house templates for kids to decorate and place in the ‘village’.
Fill the town with houses, vehicles, and people and animals. Add cotton fluff snow and various props to enhance the winter scene.
Kids can create and build like little engineers with this small world play.
Offer this child-led activity in your winter theme for some hands-on fun and learning.
More winter fun!
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