Greetings all! Still icky-hot here, but we've had a few days here and there where we've gotten out to enjoy the summer days. Yesterday, for example, my troop of children and I headed to my mother's, where my youngest has a lovely backyard to play. He's very into faerie tales and faeries lately, so OF COURSE, we had to make a faerie house.
These images and 'instructions' are from the very fun website http://www.fairyhouses.com/ . Check it out!
Fairy Houses can take many forms and can be created in many different places.
Find a quiet place away from roads or busy pathways. The base of a tree or the side of a rock could be just right. Close to the ground is usually best. Sometimes you may find a special place in the low branches of a tree or bush.
Look for building areas in woods, beaches, meadows, and especially your own backyard! Use only natural materials to build your house – nothing artificial.
Many fairy houses look so natural that they are almost hidden. Have fun building them everywhere, in every season, and enjoy all of your special visitors!
Sticks, bark, dry grasses, pebbles, shells, feathers, seaweed, pinecones and nuts are just some of the materials you can use. A fairy house built in the woods will look different than one built at the beach!
Different seasons will give constantly changing materials that you can use. Be imaginative!
Be respectful of plants that are growing. Try not to disturb plants that are still living, such as ferns, mosses and flowers. Fairies are careful not to harm anything that is growing.
Our house doesn't look nearly as palatial as these examples, but it just goes to show that if you give a child free reign with his imagination, a backyard, and access to plenty of twigs, pebbles, and a handful of seashells, he'll be well-occupied and happily creative. (Photos will follow...the cable to my camera is missing so I can't download them at present. I'll make my husband give it back when he gets home)
Another great outdoor activity I do with my little one (the big ones are too cool, and have very important video games to play) is "Adventurer" or "Scientist," depending on what we're doing. For these activities I rely heavily on this jewel of a book:
The Kids Nature Book: 365 Indoor/Outdoor Nature Activities and Experiences
http://www.amazon.com/The-Kids-Nature-Book-Experiences/dp/1885593074 . Days' worth of entertainment and fun education!
Mel Boring's Fun With Nature and More Fun With Nature are also outstanding books ( I don't own them yet, but they're on my To Get list!)
http://www.amazon.com/Fun-With-Nature-Along-Guides/dp/1559717025/ref=pd_sim_b_1
And while you're constructing in your backyard, why not encourage your children to become ecologists? Kids can build wildlife habitats right in the backyard (and they don't have to be enormous. I can't wait for the day my little one and I can build a toad house!)
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Create-Wildlife-Habitats-City-Suburbs-Countryside/dp/0824986652/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_cp_36_MJEJ?ie=UTF8&refRID=1C4S6S9RJGMHJ08F8013
Little Bitty and I are currently working our way through The Kids' Outdoor Adventure Book, a new title that just arrived at our library. http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Outdoor-Adventure-Book-Things/dp/0762783524/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373392619&sr=1-1&keywords=the+kids+outdoor+adventure+book
Anyway, give these books a look-see, see if they, or any of the Fairy Houses books are available at your library and have some backyard, back step, or even window box fun with your child. You'll both be glad you did.
These images and 'instructions' are from the very fun website http://www.fairyhouses.com/ . Check it out!
Location
Fairy Houses can take many forms and can be created in many different places.
Find a quiet place away from roads or busy pathways. The base of a tree or the side of a rock could be just right. Close to the ground is usually best. Sometimes you may find a special place in the low branches of a tree or bush.
Look for building areas in woods, beaches, meadows, and especially your own backyard! Use only natural materials to build your house – nothing artificial.
Many fairy houses look so natural that they are almost hidden. Have fun building them everywhere, in every season, and enjoy all of your special visitors!
Materials
Sticks, bark, dry grasses, pebbles, shells, feathers, seaweed, pinecones and nuts are just some of the materials you can use. A fairy house built in the woods will look different than one built at the beach!
Different seasons will give constantly changing materials that you can use. Be imaginative!
Rules
Be respectful of plants that are growing. Try not to disturb plants that are still living, such as ferns, mosses and flowers. Fairies are careful not to harm anything that is growing.
Our house doesn't look nearly as palatial as these examples, but it just goes to show that if you give a child free reign with his imagination, a backyard, and access to plenty of twigs, pebbles, and a handful of seashells, he'll be well-occupied and happily creative. (Photos will follow...the cable to my camera is missing so I can't download them at present. I'll make my husband give it back when he gets home)
Another great outdoor activity I do with my little one (the big ones are too cool, and have very important video games to play) is "Adventurer" or "Scientist," depending on what we're doing. For these activities I rely heavily on this jewel of a book:
The Kids Nature Book: 365 Indoor/Outdoor Nature Activities and Experiences
http://www.amazon.com/The-Kids-Nature-Book-Experiences/dp/1885593074 . Days' worth of entertainment and fun education!
Mel Boring's Fun With Nature and More Fun With Nature are also outstanding books ( I don't own them yet, but they're on my To Get list!)
http://www.amazon.com/Fun-With-Nature-Along-Guides/dp/1559717025/ref=pd_sim_b_1
And while you're constructing in your backyard, why not encourage your children to become ecologists? Kids can build wildlife habitats right in the backyard (and they don't have to be enormous. I can't wait for the day my little one and I can build a toad house!)
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Create-Wildlife-Habitats-City-Suburbs-Countryside/dp/0824986652/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_cp_36_MJEJ?ie=UTF8&refRID=1C4S6S9RJGMHJ08F8013
Little Bitty and I are currently working our way through The Kids' Outdoor Adventure Book, a new title that just arrived at our library. http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Outdoor-Adventure-Book-Things/dp/0762783524/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373392619&sr=1-1&keywords=the+kids+outdoor+adventure+book
Anyway, give these books a look-see, see if they, or any of the Fairy Houses books are available at your library and have some backyard, back step, or even window box fun with your child. You'll both be glad you did.
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