Small World tyres

I'm really going to try and post some of my ideas on here as I get lots of compliments about my fab ideas and maybe some other people can use them too. I love to try new things with my reception class and make lots of things for them to save that all important budget so I'll start with some Small World Zones perfect for outdoors.

This idea has partly come from looking at the wondeful 'Cosy' catalogue & is also a development on an idea seen on a TV gardening programme. The idea is to use an old car tyre (painted to look nicer) as the basis for a small world zone. The trick is to paint the tyre with Kitchen & Bathroom paint as once dry, it is weather resistant- it won't last forever but it really gives the tyre a new lease of life. WARNING- it will take a fair bit of time to paint it (if you plan on doing as good a job as I have :-) anyway!).

The tyres are pretty easy to get hold of as tyre places generally have to pay to dispose of them so they'll be happy to give you some. I happened to have 3, very old & dirty ones, in the garage. I'd imagine most schools will have one parent that would be able to get their hands on some if you asked anyway.

I've started on 2, painting 1 white & 1 blue that I am planning to use as a Polar Land and an Under the Sea Land. If you were feeling brave them I'm sure you could get the kids to help with the painting as it is washable from hands with a bit of scrubbing (I am not that brave or stupid though!). I am currently trying to hunt down some bowls that are large enough to sit inside the tyre but with little success (they are available in the cosy catalogue but I'm hoping to find some cheaper elsewhere). When I get my hands on some then the last part of the plan can be put into place. I want about 7 in total so I can carry out the following ideas:-

1- Polar Land
White tyre with a clear plastic bowl inside. That will hold some water and some ice cubes giving the children the chance to learn about what happens to ice and how it changes as well as the wider issues of global warming etc. I can then add in my small world polar animals and sometimes actually encase objects in the ice too.

2- Under The Sea
Blue tyre again with a bowl inside. This time holding mainly water but also potentially some of the real (or fake) plants that you get for fish bowls, maybe some stones too. Can then be used with our small world fish etc.

3- Desert
Golden yellow tyre again with a clear bowl inside. Filled with very dry sand and maybe an odd cactus if there are outdoor ones available (I'm not a gardener!). Again plan to have as an area for children to use the small world animals such as camels, snakes etc.

4- Dinosaurs
Green or maybe red tyre this time filled with compost. Lots of nice tree style plants (but small versions of course) planted in it. Could also put some type of volcano in it (there are ones available that you can actually use for the old favourite bicarb & vinegar test that you could erupt) and surround that with some 'lava' (black stones with some red paint & glitter on them). Then of course small world dinosaurs to roam the earth!

You could also do some for a Jungle or Minibeast zone using a green tyre and various plants or go mad and have a purple one for a fantasy land or a pink one for a girly fairy garden.

The possibilities are endless really and even if the kids can't help with the painting then they can definitely help to come up with the ideas!