DIY Camping Small World Play

I love small world play.  I love seeing children creating their own stories, using their imagination, and engaging in co-operative play.  I love giving children play experiences that allow them to revisit their own experiences, talk about them, process their knowledge, and share ideas.  This camping scene was inspired by some of the children's holidays, as some of them went camping, many went to the beach, and some went in a boat.  It all started off with a broken basket made of sticks, that I didn't want to throw away.

 I used some of the sticks to create a frame for a tent.  I chose to lash the sticks together using yarn, rather than hot glue I don't like using hot glue - I find it gets everywhere and doesn't stick very well.  

Once I made the frame, I got out the felt and draped it over to get measurements (no ruler involved!) and cut to fit - one rectangle, and two triangles, and sewed it together.  I didn't cover the base of the tent, but I sewed the felt around the base sticks, to keep it secure (apart from along the front).  I chose to use felt as it doesn't fray or need hemming.  I also like the look and feel of felt.

Once the tent was done, I decided to make a boat.  I created a pattern for the base of the boat and cut out strips of felt for the sides.  I used two layers of felt for the whole boat, to provide stability.

Then I made a family - Mum, Dad, brother and sister. This was a bit of an experiment as I hadn't made people like this before - I used pipecleaners which I wrapped in yarn, and wool roving for heads, as I wanted to be able to needlefelt the hair on, rather than use glue, as I find it gets a bit messy and doesn't always work out how I want it.  I don't have instructions on how to make the family, as I made it up and wasn't sure how it would turn out.

 The kids are wearing life jackets - we have had a water safety visit at school, where we learnt the importance of wearing life jackets when out on the water, and I wanted to set a good example.

Finally, I made sleeping bags - an essential item when going camping! These were simply made from two rectangles of felt sewn together. No rulers used, and exact measurements are not necessary. I just put the dolls on the felt and drew around them.

I can't wait to take these to school and listen to all the stories that the children make up as they play with them!

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