Small World Play: Fairies Nature Mat

Usually this is the sort of play I would place in our sensory tray but I wanted to give the children more room to play and move around the small world we were going to create. Instead we used a green mat to represent the grass and I left some blue material on the side in case they wanted to create another type of environment.

My lovely husband recently brought me some roses and yesterday I decided they were looking a little sorry for themselves so instead I took off the petals and P used them in her small world play. We set the petals around the outside of the hide away and P explained that their magic would only work in the circle of petals. 

We made fairy bed's out of  the large shells

and stools out of the smaller ones to sit around the bonfire. 

We then made a shelter for when it rains out of drift wood which was raised up using shells. 

P loved playing with her fairies in a different way and using the rose petals made the play extra special. The play went on all afternoon and it was lovely to see how her imaginary play is still developing even at 8 years old. The fairies had job's, family lives and enjoyed partying with their friends under the stars.  Lately there have been a lot of arguments between her and her friends at school. I put this down to her growing her own opinions and becoming a little lady. I find that making small world play experiences for her allows her to get out her feelings and work things out her self which may have caused an argument earlier in the day.