How to Use A Small World Learning Center

Using different learning spaces in your classroom provides students with the opportunity to work on various skills. A small world learning center is perfect for science, creative play, STEM, and more.

Small World Learning Center: Using different learning spaces in your classroom provides students with the opportunity to work on various skills. A small world learning center is perfect for science, creative play, STEM, and more.

Having different learning spaces available to your students throughout the classroom is a great way to work on different skills. My students have access to a variety of centers to work on skills and concepts in different ways.

The building center is perfect for cooperation, problem-solving, innovation. The dramatic center provides opportunities for creativity, turn-taking, collaboration. You can see more of what I have available in my classroom in my Kindergarten Classroom Tour.

One of the centers that I enjoy the most in my classroom is the Small World Learning Center. I wrote this post to give you an idea of how I use it, and hopefully to inspire you to try it out!

What is a Small World Learning Center?

There are 2 students who can work in the space at a time, and I use a ledge that is off to the side of my room. I use this space to work on a variety of skills throughout the school year.

I have used that center to set up different activities for my students:

Provocations
Story/book retell
Building/STEM challenges
Science experiment

Basically, it is a space that students can use to explore materials on a small scale. I also leave the activity out over a long period of time (at least a week), so that they can return to it when they want to.

Extra Space

I like having a small world learning center and the extra learning space for a few different reasons:

It helps keep students spread out in the classroom. I find that the more variety in the classroom, the more engaged they are, and the quieter it is too.
The small world activity gives students the opportunity to work with different materials and skills.
It can also be a calmer area, and not too overwhelming. This is great for students that may need a break.

Where Can You Have a Small World Learning Center?

It can be hard to find extra space in your classroom to make room for the Small World Learning Center. Think of other spaces in your classroom, what is being used? What do you want to focus on with your students?