Create your own miniature world

Here's some creative fun from the former Children's Laureate: make your own tiny landscape, using normal-sized things from your garden or local park.

Inspired by The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child (Puffin)

Staring into Space: resources from the former Children's Laureate

Download this resource

Make a miniature world activity sheet

Have you ever looked at something through a magnifying glass or microscope? Everything looks so different up close – it's like entering another world. Here's your chance to create your own world in miniature.

Download (PDF)

Download all the Staring into Space resources

Lauren Child introduces the Staring into Space resources

Six activity sheets to try

From making your own book to a 3D world, there's a creative idea to suit every child and classroom.

Download (PDF)

Extra ideas for the miniature world resource

If you have time and want more inspiration, Lauren and Josey have some brilliant ideas of other things to do alongside this activity. They're all very good companions to The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child, which prompted this resource.

Read these books

Goldlocks and the Three Bears

Lauren Child, Polly Borland and Emily Jenkins
A wonderful story of a world in miniature. Here, a tiny house has been made from twigs, pine cones and grass, and then placed straight into a woodland. The characters are all handmade, as are many of the objects. Some things are real – but it's difficult to tell what is what!

The Tale of Two Bad Mice

Beatrix Potter
This story is about two naughty mice that sneak into a doll's house to eat all the delicious food they see through the window – but then they realise it isn't real!

Listen to some music

While making your own world, why not listen to the dreamlike Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg?

Search online for this art

Take a look at some pieces by these artists to inspire your own designs:

Tatsuya Tanaka: for miniature dioramas that use everyday objects and food
Nikolai Aldunin: micro-miniature art that can only be seen with a microscope!
Steve Wheen: tiny worlds made outside by planting moss and flowers with teeny props in compost-filled potholes