In the age of coronavirus, suddenly, all of our worlds seem smaller.

But that doesn’t mean they are any less creative.

George Warneke of Portland hasn’t been able to see his young grandkids in weeks, and it may be awhile before they can be together again.

“Like everyone in the whole world right now, we are trying to cope with staying at home,” he said.

He and his wife Susie have three children and six grandchildren, who range in age from 2 to 6 years old. The family has taken several trips to Disneyland over the years, where “It’s a Small World” is the grandkids’ favorite ride.

Warneke retired last spring from a career in automotive repair.

“I’m kind of a project oriented guy, and I was trying to figure out something I could do to make my kids and grandkids smile,” he said. “I can’t play with my grandkids right now, but how about I play for them?”

The idea was born to create an elaborate replica of their favorite ride, using toys, trinkets and tchotchkes from around the house. The “It’s a Small World” project took over the entire length of his 30-by-15-foot motorhome garage.

Small, it was not.

“It kind of consumed me,” he said. “It took me an entire week to build it, working off and on each day and evening.”

He found a video online of the actual ride, and used that as a roadmap for what to create. He used a roll of black tar paper to create walls and tunnels, and laid down blue towels to mark the winding river. A toy car with a cell phone attached served as the “boat,” which he moved through the scenes using an aluminum cane as a guide. Landscapes were created by stacking paint cans and boxes, then covering them with fabric and Christmas lights. Many dolls and toys make appearances as the children and animals of the iconic Disneyland ride.

When the set up was complete, Susie played a recording of “It’s a Small World” on her iPad while George walked the toy car through the ride, his phone capturing the video. He posted the competed project on Facebook for his family, and anyone else, to enjoy.

When you can’t play with your grand kids, you play for them! Posted by George Warneke on Sunday, March 29, 2020

“My grandkids were thrilled and amazed,” he said. “They loved seeing the pictures of themselves in the small world. They watched it over and over.”

Now, his kids and grandkids are doing their own “Small World” challenges at home, creating their own displays with toys and items from around their houses.

And they insist on seeing their grandpa’s creation in person, someday. That means “It’s a Small World” may be taking over the Warneke garage for quite a while.

-- Samantha Swindler; sswindler@oregonian.com; @editorswindler

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