The Arctic - created by using toy animals, a blue blanket and polystyrene recycled from a computer box.

Every now and then I set up a mini world for my children to play with. This might be while they are asleep at night  or it might be while they are at school. The objective is:

1. to give them a surprise, and renew their interest in a toy that has not been out or played with for a while.
2. create a scene that will promote imaginative play and is a great learning activity
3. and create a point of conversation. ‘What kind of animals live in cold weather climates? What would they eat? Which animals are the predators and which animals are preyed upon?

Their surprised responses when they discover the mini world I have set up for them always make me feel it was worth the while. ‘Awesome’! ‘Wow, mummy what have you made?’ Sometimes I do this on playdate days, when my children are having a friend over to play. It works a treat. Dishes and house work can wait! It is whilst they are fully emerged in their play, that I can get on with all the jobs I should have been doing while setting the game up.

What gave me the idea of creating an Arctic world was the polystyrene shapes that came out of a computer box of a computer we had recently purchased. They make great icebergs, the children love placing their cold weather animals in all the variety of shapes and you have shown them how something can be recycled and reused in an imaginative way.

Penguins sitting on top of their iceberg.

The seals and walruses watch each other swim in and out of the deep dark Arctic sea.

The polar bear that likes to travel alone look down on the seals and ses it's next meal!

A pod of Killer whales swims between the icebergs looking for dinner.

To find out more about Arctic wildlife clink on the following link: Arctic Wildlife