Woodland Fairies Unite!

Put your thinking caps on and let’s use our imagination! This week we will be looking at one of my favorite activities that help children exercise their imagination through nature. Activities that activate our imaginations usually have opened-ended ideas and varies tools to create or build something. The goal is to inspire our children to use the tools around them to create an idea. For young children, expressing an idea they have in their head is great for exercising new language as they describe the castle they want to build or interpret the animal they created with leaves. They exercise hand-eye coordination when they put building a castle into action and they gain confidence in their ideas as it comes to life in front of them. This type of play is called imaginative play. Playing in an environment that allows them to manipulate loose parts is also an important way to bond with nature. Creating worlds of wonder through outdoor exploration and hands on activities, strengthens the empathetic emotion to nature and animals that are key for the next generation. So let’s challenge ourselves to provide an experience that will make a lasting impact on our little ones.

Fairy Wands

One of my favorite imaginative play activities is called Nature Wands or Fairy Wands. They are easily created and super customizable to every child’s imagination. The materials come from the backyard and the only bonding material needed is tape, but you could even due without it. 

Loose parts: Sticks, leaves, feathers, flowers, yarn or colored string.

Younger children may need help with sticking leaves on the wand but they should do all the decision making on how the wand should look. You could tape the leaves on the top of the wand or on the handle. Yarn can be used to wrap the handle or even hang down in strips, the ideas are endless. It’s really all about how you set-up and approach the craft that makes the experience truly enriching. I laid a blanket down and placed tons of leaves, sticks, strips of yarn and acorns on the blanket. I asked the children if they wanted to create a fairy/nature wand (9 times out of 10, I received a “yes!”). They were instructed to pick out their decorations and if they needed help I would assist, but usually the older kids had it all under control. If a child looked lost I would try to encourage them by asking questions like “How do want your wand to look?” or “Which leaves do you like?” This ensures they did all the decision making and I only guided them through the basic steps to make the wand. So whatever tools they use or however their wands end up looking, it’s all about the experience. Check out Laughing Kids Learn for further inspiration on this activity.