A couple of years ago when my youngest was still in preschool, we started a fairy garden in a shady plot where we had had trouble growing anything. She had received a couple small items in her Easter basket, and so we proceeded to create an outdoor play area for her to add to over time. And, I also wanted to soak in this moment in time with my youngest baby before she started kindergarten 15 months later. We incorporated seashells from past beach walks that had been stored up in a box, a couple of old Christmas ornaments whose hooks had broken off, and some moss we dug up from the yard.

The garden has provided hours upon hours of creativity, fun with friends, independent play, and one on one time between me and her……all just the kind of magic I want to make room for as we strive for simplicity in our family. I have loved filling her stocking, Easter basket, and birthday gifts since with a few more added treasures. After the winter we clear it out and start fresh and create new stories.

Consider your own potential magic making with your littles. Where can carve out a corner - inside or out - for creativity and unstructured play, where they can lead and build upon over time?

Some ideas for creating your own fairy garden:

Outline a space with scrap wood, rocks or in a flower bed
Plant a few easy to care for perennials
Add moss (we just dug up some from corners of our yard)
Gather nature - rocks, seashells, twigs for teepees and fairy bonfires, and acorns
Create a fairy door on a tree trunk nearby - with popsicle sticks or twigs and some glue or twine.
Add creatures - DIY or from around the house (tiny toys like shopkins of small animals work great AND move the clutter outside or your home!)
Look for items around the house to add - from the recycling bin, holiday decor, tiny toys
Tell stories while you play!