By Debi AKA Go EXplore Nature
Making fairy houses is pretty simple stuff. So simple that I thought I’d give it a try while vacationing in Yosemite National Park recently with family and friends, including twin girls the same age as the big explorer.
I gave each of the kids a bucket and told them to gather up some items from nature that they could use to build a house for the forest fairies. In Yosemite, our backyard is a basically a forest and meadow, so there was plenty to choose from.
Of course, the big explorer (not yet believing in forest fairies) wasn’t the least bit interested. He filled his bucket up quickly and returned first.
When all the kids were ready, they got to work. Each picked their own workspace and began creating independently of one another.
The big explorer built his house on a bench. He didn’t spend much time or devote much effort to it. Here’s the result.
When describing his creation, he made sure to point out the bed he made using a leaf and a pinecone pillow.
Once he was done, he was curious to see what his friends had come up with. One built this lovely little house that also came complete with a bedroom.
The second was having a tough time figuring out just where to go with the space she had. The big explorer was eager to pitch in and start suggesting some ideas. The kids worked for quite a while together, discussing ideas and heading off once in a while to gather new supplies.
The result? A group effort!
I was thrilled to see the kids pull together to problem solve and create a place they thought the fairies would love, complete with bridges from one tree stump to the next.
TAKE-HOME TIPS
This one is all about discovering, building and playing with different items from nature. For best results:
- Foster imaginative play. We gathered up some flowers and placed a small bouquet next to each of their fairy houses while the kids slept. This tiny action got the big explorer thinking that fairies might actually exist.
- Ask questions. We parents stayed in the background while the kids gathered their materials and built their houses. When they were ready to show off their creations, we asked them a ton of questions. It was fun to hear their ideas about what a fairy house needed (always a bed and pillow, sometimes a garage).
More Fairy house ideas
