Create a Play Scene/Environment

Following the success of our painted pasta shell houses and the little critters we made to live inside them, we decided to make a play scene or environment to place the houses and critters in.

After the much more structured activity making the little critters, this open ended activity was a welcome change and just the thing to draw the other elements of the other activities together.

 To make the play scene/environment I provided a plastic take-away container, sticks/tanbark from outside, some felt, stones, blue glass decorator pebbles and some leaves. (As well as our little critters and pasta shells)

 She got to work instantly, knowing exactly where she wanted everything to go

 Pouring in the glass pebbles for a pond

No, wait! Changing her mind about the position of the "water" and taking them back out again

 Some of the little critters "floating on the water" while waiting for the rest of the environment to be built

 This house is a popular one. There's a line

 The play scene is forever changing

 A moment in time in the play scene.

These 2 share this house. "They are best friends"

Some tips:

- You can create a play scene/environment for use with any toys you already have (They don't have to be pasta shells or pom pom critters).

- This activity is forever changing as you can introduce new elements or exclude items as you please. Even with the same materials, a new scene or environment can (and probably will) be made each time

- Use this activity to encourage creativity, exploration, imaginative play, problem solving and to develop fine motor skills and coordination

- Talk with your child about what they are doing. This will help them understand the physical and mental processes they are going through as well as giving them the vocabulary to describe it.

- Use new language and descriptive words like, "environment" This will help with their language development.

-Ask questions to help connect their understanding and use vocabulary to give them words to describe what they're creating, eg. "What are you putting there?" "Why did you choose that?" "How are you going to get this to balance there?" "I love how you've arranged them on the fuzzy, green felt" etc

- Extend this activity by first going on a nature walk to collect materials for the play scene/environment

Happy creating,

Debs :)

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