Hello, and welcome!

I’m Ann, Mum of Miss Glitter (6), Mister T (3,5) and Baby Fox (9 months). I’m the Family Coordinator, CEO of the Department of Make Believe, Doll Doctor, Sleep Advocate, Philantrophist for Little People’s Art and Music, Toddler Negotiations Expert with a PhD in Patience, Search and Rescue Volunteer: Valuable Toys Unit, and Creator of Little Worlds.

I have been ‘pottering around’ with scissors, glue and paint since I was a child so my mother says. My father taught me how to use power tools and my grandmother insisted I learned how to sew, knit and crochet. I studied Occupational Therapy and have a special interest in Creative Therapy. When I became a (stay at home) mother, a whole new world of diy and make believe made itself know to me and I embraced it with both hands.

Little Worlds started taking form when Mister T was about 18 months old. We had just moved back to New Zealand from Australia, I slowly started to resurface from my state of sleep deprivation and was itching to do something with all these ideas that had been floating around in my head.

And I did. Together with my kids I played, created, pretended, went on the wildest adventures and back again. Some of the things we did and made were epic, others not so much, but all were memorable. This blog tells our story and aims to spread a love for imaginative play and creativity in all shapes, sizes and forms.

my top 5 of favorite posts

* A Beginner’s Guide to Small World Play *

This is the very first post I wrote and to this day one of the most popular ones still. It’s a must read for everyone keen to learn more about small world play. Filled to the brim with information and practical tips, you’ll want to dive in straight away!

* DIY Inventor’s Box *

The inventor’s box has become a staple in our home and thoroughly changed the way we create and play. If you’ve new to the Theory of Loose Parts, then you need to read this now. This humble box has started us on our STEM journey and brought so much joy to our children over the years. We’ve made so many play variations on the inventor’s box and loose parts in general that I can’t even imagine life without it.

* Dinosaur Jump & Wash Sensory Play *

This activity is so close to my heart and watching the images of my darling Mister T still melts my heart. Our Mister T has challenged us more than I could ever imagine and when I manage to tap into his interests it’s like finding gold. Sensory play is what he’s all about. This dinosaur game occupied him for days on end. And it sure has inspired many other fun dinosaur activities and creations!

* Invitation to Create a Mini Ocean Small World *

Of all the small worlds we’ve created, this one is my favorite. It’s the fabric scraps that were a genius addition to the play tray and make this small world scene magical. Play dough is always a hit with our kids and I love adding natural materials and all kinds of loose parts into the mix. Looking at the images still makes me happy and longing for summer!

* DIY Princess Hair *

The last one of my absolute favorites must be the diy princess hair Miss Glitter and I made. To this day Rapunzel’s braid is played with on a daily basis! I kid you not, it’s the toy my kids put in their bag when I tell them they can only take one thing. The secret it that they haven’t used it as I originally intended to for a looong time. Instead they, well, get very creative with it. You’ll just have to make one yourself and give it to your kids to find out just how creative! This posts also reminds me of all the gorgeous creations Miss 6 and I made together using felt, fabric scraps and recyclables. These projects sure enabled us to have some great quality time together and memories made to last!

Getting to know you

Hopefully this will give you a bit of an insight in what we’re all about here. Now enough about me, I want to hear all about you. I’d love to hear more about what kind of activities you like and the kind of projects you get excited about. Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram where I hang out most days and I’m ready to chat with you about all things imaginative play.

And should you have any other questions or queries, you can drop me an email at info(at)littleworldsbigadventures(dot)com.

Take care and hopefully talk soon!

Ann*