Building Imagination with Fairy Gardens

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	Building Imagination with Fairy Gardens


	By: Caitlin Philp Gulley Media Staff


	Fairy gardens for kids seem to be all the rage right now; but for good reason. Kids today are lacking one of the most beneficial skills they will ever need in their futures; imagination. Although as parents we can sometimes feel like our children are busier than we are; with piano lessons, soccer practice, school, recitals, etc., kids today aren’t being given the time they need to build an imagination through simple undirected playtime.

	Although it may just seem like child silliness, those games your kids are stirring up in their imaginations helps them to build social skills, practice real life problem solving, encourages vocabulary and speaking skills, and fosters their creativity; all invaluable life skills.

One way to foster your child’s imagination is to build a fairy garden with them. Not only is it an activity that brings your kids back to nature, gets their hands in the dirt, and creates something beautiful in the end—those small plants become giant trees, lush forests, beautiful flowers, and those tiny stones become great walkways into another magical world for kids’ imaginations to run wild.


	The best part is fairy gardens are so simple to build! You will need a container with holes for drainage, soil, small plants, some rocks (or broken pottery) and any other fun decoration your kids may find around the house or outside. Start by helping your kids make a plan for their garden. It can be as large or as small as you want. Old broken pots work well for a fairy garden. Ask your kids what they think the fairies would like.

	Does your fairy want shade or sun? Would she like a chair or a swing? Does she need a house or does she live in the forest? After planning your garden, put some potting soil in a container and let your kids begin building it. Plant small plants as landscape and then decorate as you please.

Keep in mind if your fairy garden is going to be kept in the sun or the shade and choose plants accordingly. Gulley’s has a huge selection of plants you can use that are perfectly sized for fairy gardens. If you keep your garden inside it will need to be watered every few days or so, but if you keep your garden outside it may need to be watered everyday. Just have your kids stick their fingers in the soil to see if it is dry and needs to be watered.




			If you have kids who aren’t really into fairies—build a dragon or dinosaur garden.



	Truly, the options are endless and it’s important to allow your imagination to run wild with your kids.

I also go and buy a small fairy for the garden and tell my kids that if they build it and then blow the magic bubble concoction onto it (just bubbles) the fairies will come to live there. Later that night I will place the fairy into the garden in anticipation of seeing their surprised faces in the morning at the arrival of their new friend. The more they take care of the garden, the more fairy friends come to live.