Children build strong emotional connections with tiny objects. They are drawn to miniature characters that they can animate and bring to life. And they love little treasures that they can hold in their hands, put in their pockets and take to hidey places.
Setting the scene for rich, language-enriching small-world play that engages the ‘head, hands and heart’ involves setting up interesting provocations that arouse curiosity, invite exploration and inspire imaginative storytelling. As Alice Sharp, early years specialist and founder of The Early Learning Lab, says, ‘If we want our children to generate ideas or respond originally when creating small-world situations, we need to feed their creativity and imaginative journeys with fabulous materials.’
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