Fairy Villages
Fairy villages are homes for elves, fairies, and other beings of children’s imagination. They provide enchanted places that stimulate creative, dramatic play in make believe settings. Creating a fairy village represents a unique form of natural building. They can be any scale, created inside a hollow log, on top of a tree stump, in a planter, on a patio or in a miniature woodland in a quiet corner of the outdoor area.
Setting:
Construction Area
Focus:
Creative Expression
Curricular Areas:
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- Cognitive Development (Creative expression)
- Approaches to Learning (imagination, creativity, invention, aesthetic sensibility)
Suggestions:
- Place a basket of miniature figurines, etc. near an inviting place for a fairy village (e.g., tree stump, planter, hollow log, rock with a concave bowl, etc.).
- Invite children to create a special place for tiny fairies or other imaginary creatures.
- Listen and respond to children’s descriptions and stories about their fairy villages.
- As children share their “stories,” record some of their ideas in the form of an “experience story” (i.e., a form of documentation – usually written by the teacher — representing children’s ideas and actions).
Engaging Parents:
- Call attention to the fairy villages created by the children by way of photos or experience stories.
- Encourage children to show their fairy villages to their parents and talk about their “stories.”
Materials & Tools
- Small furniture
- Figurines
- Marbles
- Shells
- Other tiny items