Gnome Small World Tuff Spot

This weeks Tuff Spot Tuesday challenge is to create a Small World Tuff Spot. It gave me the opportunity to test out the items we had been sent by Gardens 2 You to review and give Rowan and Brody a home. So we created a Gnome Small World Tuff Spot.

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Our Gnome Small World Tuff Spot was also the perfect excuse to use our new lime green Tuff Spot. This was my present to myself for being a Mad Blog Awards finalist! I had planned on doing the activity outside but unfortunately the weather had other plans. I brought our Cosy Direct Tuff Spot Stand inside and placed the green Tuff Spot on top.

Every gnome loves to fish so I created a pond in the middle of the Tuff Spot using blue felt and left over stones from our Penguin Story Stones activity.

Next we needed to find some homes for the gnomes. We used a Bird House and a wild bird rooster pocket purchased on a recent trip to Bewilderwood. These were decorated with wood slats to create little steps. I reused the two small logs that originally appeared in our Owl Babies Tuff Spot and attached a small resin Fairy Garden Window to each log. Finally, I stood our pet wooden hideaway upright and attached the large Fairy Garden Window to it. Our gnomes now had several homes to choose from.

So that the gnomes could walk between each house and meet up at the fishing pond I created paths. These were made from brown, orange and red coloured rice that I had made for an Autumn Sensory Bin. I used conkers to outline the path.

To decorate the remaining space in the Tuff Spot I wanted something green. I had green coloured rice that we have used for several activities. However, I last reused the rice in our Pirates Love Underpants Sensory Bin and it had got mixed together with cornflakes. I did start to seperate the two but it was painstakingly slow. So I decided to use my food processor to blend the green coloured rice and cornflakes together.

Every Gnome needs an allotment so I created one using lolly sticks and brown coloured rice recycled from our Harvest Tuff Spot. I found some old craft flowers in the cupboard and cut the heads off. They looked like cabbages so I placed them in rows on top of the brown rice.

Our Gnome Small World was complete. I placed Roman and Brody on the Tuff Spot and waited for Adam’s reaction. As he walked in I heard him shout “Wow. Well done Mum-Mum!” He saw the gnomes straight away and got them to move around the Tuff Spot. He spoke to them continuously, although he kept calling them Father Christmas. They had a great game of hide and seek within the Tuff Spot. He then got them to choose which house they wanted and he put them to bed.

Adam played with the Gnome Small World Tuff Spot for ages and I was surprised how it kept its shape. I had expected it to last for only a few moments but even a day later you can still see the main features – although the allotment didn’t survive! I think Roman and Brody will be very happy in their new home.

Be sure to check out our Gardens 2 You review: