Small World/ Role-play

Small World and Role-play at Much Birch School

At Much Birch School, small world resources are regularly changed to suit the theme or topic the children are working on.

This allows children the opportunity to consolidate their learning and further demonstrate their understanding to adults and their peers.

As the year progresses children begin to play more cooperatively with their peers, sharing their ideas and planning their play.

Language becomes more focused and appropriate to their play and models and designs become more elaborate and detailed.

Small world environments allow children to act out daily routines or past events such as putting a doll to bed or driving a car, however it also allows them to experiment with fantasy play and incorporate their own ideas.

It supports a breadth of language skills including building vocabulary and understanding.

Children are able to learn new words and practise them in context.

Expressive language skills can be encouraged through a small world experience, allowing the child to narrate their play and talk about what is happening.

Examples of small world and role-play