Our Fairy Garden

Each year our children have a little Easter hunt. We do not like them to have too much chocolate so in the past there have been flower bulbs wrapped in colorful cellophane. Its a really lovely tradition because we then plant the bulbs (after reading The Story of the Root Children) and wait for their appearance in the spring. This year however we didn't really need any more daffodils so I thought of an alternative.

 A has recently shown an increasing interest in creating fairy gardens and homes as well as 'bug worlds' and other small worlds. We actually started to make fairy houses together when he was four from bits and pieces that we found in nature but his interest waned until spending time recently with a little friend who showed him the finer points of making a fairy garden.Since then he has been excavating a hole under the roots of the wisteria and making that a fairy home with H joining in finding treasures to add to the fairy home, so I thought I would capatalise on this interest and hide a few fairy garden accessories as part of the Easter hunt.

I made two wooden fairy doors, kind of following a tutorial found at Happy Whimsical Hearts and painted some small stones with Easter motifs.I carved a gourd that I grew two summers ago for the fairy house, some brightly colored aquarium gravel, a few plants and we were good to go.

One of the wooden fairy doors - so much fun to make!

It was a bit of serendipity but two weeks before Easter we borrowed a book called Lily and the Fairy House from the library. The children loved it (and so did I) so much so that it is now on my book wish list. Once we started our garden they wanted to make a swing from a hair ribbon just like in the story.

We made the garden nice and high so that it would be a comfortable height for the children and also dog and baby proof once baby L is mobile.

I love that over time we can add to the garden. who knows where it may take us

Fairy door at the base of the Wisteria

Easter 2012

Life is happy/crazy/busy right now. There is just so much happening each week which is nice but it also means little computer time (and I am also trying to listen to my body and go to bed earlier - frequently 7.30!!). I wanted to share a glimpse of our Easter, in more pictures than words

Teacher gifts - the felt carrot was well received

H's Easter basket

A's Easter basket

early morning chocolate

No chocolate for baby L - she got a puppy instead

New cosies i.e dressing gowns

egg hunt

finding treasures

opening treasures

painted fairy stepping stone

Easter this year was lovely. A is now old enough to remember our little family traditions that have been in place for a few years which makes things extra special.

Hopefully I will get back here in the next week to share what else we have been up to.