Seven illustrated invitations and six movable track strips support spatial language, investigation and storytelling in small-world play. Offer them with animal figures, blocks, logs, fabric and woodland pieces. Children can move, combine and reinterpret the materials freely.

Choose the pages you need

Pages 2–5  |  Beside, beneath, behind, between, inside, above and through; plus one optional blank card.
Pages 6–7  |  Fox, deer, rabbit, badger, squirrel and bird track strips.

Use position words within play

Offer one card when it connects with the play. Read the invitation if helpful, then give children time to move a figure, point, gesture or explain. The image shows one example; children can choose other animals, materials and arrangements. There is no need to copy the model or work through all seven cards.

Describe what is happening: “Your mouse is beneath the bark.” You can connect beneath with under and beside with next to. For between, show two reference objects. For behind, look from the child’s viewpoint and notice what is hidden. Above does not have to mean touching or resting on something.

Let children direct a partner or adult if moving the pieces is difficult. Use larger figures, fewer objects or a reachable play surface as needed. Children can respond with their usual communication supports. Change one position at a time if helpful; reading and spoken answers are not required.

Let tracks become part of the story

Lay one strip beside a log, lead it towards a tree or let children build a route with several strips. They might follow it with a figure, choose who made it or decide where it leads. Ask “Where might these go?” when it helps the play. The animal names are preparation labels outside the cut lines, so the strips can remain unlabelled.

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