Here in Arizona, Fall means we can finally venture outdoors, so I guess we’re on a bit of an outdoors kick. Last week we shared ideas to help you go outdoors with your kids, and this week I’ve got a fun and imaginary outdoor activity: building tiny fairy houses out of items you collect in the forest!
We went up to the mountains recently and stayed with some friends in a beautiful cabin. The kids were a little restless one day, so I dug into my childhood memories of making woodland fairy houses with my mom; whenever we were camping. Since I love all things miniature, it was one of my favorite outdoor activities, and so I showed the kids how to set up little fairy homes with beds, dressers, tables, and any other decoration or furniture our creativity could think of.
If you’ve just got boys, perhaps you might consider these houses for a little gnome rather than a fairy. Regardless, my boys loved this forest game — they built a tree house, a mini playground and even an electrical generating plant!
My 16-year-old daughter and our 6-year-old friend (the only girls), happily made a fairy village with multiple fairy houses and then a store. Each one was increasingly detailed and filled with tiny wonders.
We made fairy doors on trees, collected twigs for walls, used leaves as bedding, rugs and plates. Small bits of bark pulled off a twig made excellent cups and vases filled with tiny flowers or grasses. Bark worked for beds, and mats. Pine cones were used as potted plants or lamps. Acorn tops were great dishes or hats and rocks and tiny stumps served as tables and chairs.
This activity kept the kids busy for multiple days in the great outdoors, and I loved watching them come up with ideas and use their imaginations as they found uses for various forest treasures.
Here’s another great way to entertain the kids while camping.
