Looking for something fun to do with kids? Something that gets them outdoors or at least away from a glowing screen for a few hours? Do you have to entertain your grandchildren for a few days or even for part of the summer? Have no fear! Fairy gardens are here! Once again, fairies save the day.
Fairy gardens are a wonderful way to instill some very specific and necessary values in those young minds. Continue reading to learn how these itty-bitty worlds of plants, fairies, gnomes, and other miniature creatures and objects can benefit children of all ages.
Imagination & Perspective
Imagination is one of the greatest gifts we can help cultivate in our children. Even our teenagers need a good dose of wonder every now and then. Show your kids the importance of dreaming and pretending. With a fairy garden, these qualities certainly arise.
As your little (and big) ones are crafting this mini realm of plants, pathways, doors, and fairy figurines, they’re garnering perspective as well. They’re witnessing the fact that all living creatures are special and require different levels of comfort and accessibility. They learn it’s okay to be unique. I think we can all agree that this lesson is essential.
Commitment & Responsibility
Our kids also learn a thing or two about the importance of commitment. When they take care of their fairy gardens, they’re either planting seeds or plugs that will need some tender love and care. If left alone, the garden will fail. Let them take the reigns, have some ownership. Remind them to water and prune the fairy garden. It’s their responsibility to clean the fairyscape so the fairies will feel comfortable and at home.
Patience & Hope
With gardening of any kind comes the challenging but wonderful aspects of patience and anticipation. Children and teens have to watch and wait for plants to flourish. In a fairy garden, though, they’re exercising hope, as they also watch and wait for fairies to appear. It’s fun to try and catch fairies in action, but remember it’s tough to do. We often have to simply trust they’re around, blowing their pixie dust into the air, helping plants thrive and bloom!
Innovation & Consideration
Your family will have fun spying household and natural objects to leave for the fairies. In the autumn, children may gather acorns for their fairy friends. Maybe the fairies can use these for hats, cups, bowls, and even food during the winter. Kids begin to consider what the sprites need to survive, and they work to collect and even invent solutions.
Bonding & Cooperation
This is a hands-on activity for the entire family (and neighborhood)! Come children, parents, grandparents, friends, fairies―come all! We feel a connection to Earth, perhaps, as we play in the dirt and imagine fairies taking care of flowers and critters alike. Everyone works together to produce beautiful fairyscapes that fairies will certainly want to visit time and again!
For the Young and Old(er)
Pretmann’s Fairy Garden Gazebo Kit may be just the thing for your children. They’ll be excited about gardening and placing the fairies and friends among the sprouts and blooms. We hope you’ll stay tuned to our Enchanted Fairy Garden Facebook page for more blogs like these. Best of luck to you and your family on your fairy garden adventures!
