Small World Play Goes Large

Big Adventures for Little Learners

Sometimes, the best way to engage little hands and big imaginations is to think large. Giant small world play might sound like a contradiction, but in early years it can make perfect sense. When you scale up the resources (for example, go LARGE), you open up more possibilities for language, for movement, for connection, and for our youngest learners.

In this blog, we will explore how giant small world setups can offer meaningful learning opportunities for all children.

Giant Small World Play

There’s something appealing about oversized play resources. They tend to draw children in physically and invite collaboration. Giant small world setups are particularly beneficial for babies, toddlers and young children, and for example, some children with SEND who are still developing or have difficulties motor control. Chunky pieces are easier to grip, position, move around, and see, making the experience more accessible and inclusive.

There are many scaled up small resources to choose from, but here are a few that we are going to look at in more detail with some top tips for using the resource in your setting.

The Small World Giant Wooden Dolls House

The Giant Small World Wooden Dolls House isn’t just a doll’s house—it’s also a stage for storytelling. With its open sides, durable build and generous scale, it’s designed for group play and immersive scenes. Children can sit beside it, peer inside, or reach deep into the rooms as they play, helping them to feel truly part of the story.

Top tips:

• Keep baskets of open-ended props nearby—fabric scraps for rugs and bedding, wooden food pieces, and a selection of figures.
• Use the doll’s house to introduce and discuss social routines to the children: bedtime, cooking, visitors, cleaning, or family mealtimes.

Furnishing the Story: Small World Giant Wooden Dolls House Furniture

Realistic and robust, the Giant Furniture Set adds a layer of familiarity that helps children make connections with home life. It also introduces opportunities for mathematical language and storytelling—the furniture lends itself to discussions about size, measure, position, and number. Children can use the furniture to re-enact favourite stories such as ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’. These stories are perfect for weaving in mathematical concepts.

Ideas to try:

• Let children arrange and rearrange furniture. Where will the bed go today? Who gets the big chair?
• Use the furniture and other props to create scenarios: someone is poorly and needs to rest, or someone is having a birthday party.
• Encourage turn-taking with “Who lives here today?” Why not add props to give clues? Activities like this encourage the children to share stories about their own families and experiences.

Small World Giant Wooden Peg People

What makes a house a home –  it’s often the people and memories made inside it! The Small World Giant Wooden Peg People are simple but offer lots of opportunities. Their minimal design means they can be anyone—grandparents, teachers, superheroes, or themselves. The neutral design is ideal for storytelling, role play, and exploring identity.

Top tip:

• Give children the opportunity to place themselves at the centre of their small world play by having mini me figures created by adding laminated images of the children onto wooden blocks. You could make these larger by printing out enlarged images and using bigger blocks!

Small World Giant Wooden Car and Other Vehicles

Life is full of adventures and journeys. Why not add the Giant Small World Wooden Car or other vehicles to the children’s play? Whether it’s the school run, a trip to the doctor or a holiday adventure, adding transport can extend the small world story beyond the house walls.

Ideas to explore:

• Use road mats, road tape or masking tape on the floor to create streets and destinations.
• Add signs and symbols to bring in Maths and English—speed limits, stop signs, shop names (chalkboard buildings are an ideal resource for creating bespoke villages that lie beyond the home).
• Introduce cause and effect by building gentle ramps or bridges to test how the car moves. These also make for interesting car journey stories!

Beyond the Four Walls

Once the setup is established, the world can keep growing. Here are some simple ways to extend play:

• Add natural elements—twigs, stones, felt, and shells—to bring in outdoor textures and to create a small world garden or outdoor area.
• Include baskets of seasonal items to spark fresh ideas (for example, conkers in autumn, flowers in spring).
• Link to the books you’re reading—can the characters from today’s story pop by for tea?

Small World with a Difference

Giant small world play offers a unique way to blend physical, social and imaginative learning. When the pieces are big, the possibilities feel bigger too. Whether it’s a quiet solo story or a busy house party with lots of voices, every scenario will bring new tales and learning experiences to the children’s play.

For more information on small world play, why not read our blog, ‘The Importance of Small World Play in Early Childhood‘ or ‘Small World Play Resources – Shardi’s Vaziri’s Top 5′