Easter activities for kids : Bunny Small World Play

by TurkeyMom in Small World

Ages3–8 yrs

Prep—

Activity—

Levelmedium

MessMedium

Works for1:1 · Small group

Turn a flat box into a spring bunny world, with a paper sky and grass, sticker flowers, and polka-dot cardboard roads. Kids fill it with their bunnies, fairies and tiny toys and hide pom-pom treasures under Easter grass.

⚠️ Safety first

Small parts such as buttons, pom poms, bottle caps, jelly beans and tiny toys are choking hazards. Supervise closely and leave them out for kids who still mouth things.
The jelly beans are play pieces, not a snack. The author used spiced jelly beans because her kids wouldn't touch anything spicy.
An adult cuts the dress box or thick paper into rectangles.

Before the kids arrive

Collect a flat box, a patterned dress box or thick paper, and some bottle caps.
Optional: build the box world over several days, about 10 minutes a day, as a collaborative project with your kids.

Steps

Cover the flat box with blue paper for the sky and green paper for the grass.
Decorate the box with flower and bug stickers.
Adult: cut the dress box or thick patterned paper into smaller rectangles.
Glue the rectangles onto the box with white glue to make roads and pathways. Hold each piece down 10-15 seconds so it doesn't flop.
Make tiny Easter baskets from bottle caps with pipe cleaner handles, and fill them with pom poms or jelly beans.
Add the bunnies, figurines, Lego gates, toy grass and other tiny toys.
Bring in the fairies and any other characters.
Hide pom poms, buttons and other treasures under Easter grass for the bunnies to find.
Let imaginations take over and play in the bunny world.

Tips

I think a rainbow on the sky part would look awesome.from the author
It was supposed to be a surprise, but I couldn't work on it for more than 10 minutes a day. It turned out for the better, because we had a good time doing a collaborative project, 10 minutes a day.from the author
Hold down each road piece for at least 10-15 seconds to make sure it doesn't flop down.from the author
I freely used jellybeans because they are spiced jellybeans and these kids would not touch anything remotely spicy.from the author
Little ones adore teeny tiny toys, but they are so hard to pick up and keep track of. Plan for a cleanup count.from the author
Of all the kids activities we have done, small world and sensory box play are by far the most engaging.from the author

Make it your own

Paint or add a rainbow to the sky.
Make other themed box worlds using the same flat-box base.
Keep it simple or make it as detailed as you like. Small world play can be as generic or as elaborate as you want.