Written by Ladye Anne Wofford, Chief Mission Officer at Austin Parks Foundation
Fairy Gardens are miniature gardens complete with structures and living plants that have been gaining huge popularity as home and garden decorations. In fact, the Zilker Botanical Garden even hosts a Woodland Faerie Trail Exhibit every year!
Tiny houses, chairs, lawns and ponds are common accessories, but these magical little worlds can be any scene you can imagine. The legend is that creating a fairy garden will lure fairies to your home, and bring with them good luck.
At Austin Parks Foundation, we’re partial to fairy parks, which are just like fairy gardens, except that it is perfect for the corner of a flower bed, under a tree or in a pot on the balcony. Ready to get started? Let's create a fairy park!
Here's What You'll Need To Build A Fairy Park:
- Pie Pan or container
- Dirt and natural materials
- Small bowl and water if you’d like to create a pond or pool
- Optional: Hot glue gun (if you want to get fancy)
How To Make Your Own Fairy Garden!
1. Collect interesting items!
The first part is to ask the kids to collect interesting items in your backyard or on your walk. Finding items for your creation is half the fun! Encourage kids to look for things such as rocks, pebbles, sticks, moss, lichen, grass, shells, leaves, flowers, wings, seeds, sand, etc.
2. What kind of park will it be?
Next, decide what type of park you’d like to create for your fairies. We’ve heard that they really enjoy trails, gardens, and playgrounds.
3. Build your Fairy Park!
Create your park! You can use rocks and pebbles to create paths or chairs. You can use sticks and leaves to build playground pieces. The possibilities are endless!
Bored? We Have More Quaran-tivities!
Looking for more things to do at home? Check out our blog for plenty more quaran-tivities including Nature Play 101: The Basics and Benefits of Nature Play and How to Be Your Best Self While Sheltering in Place!
The APF kids club, Little Hummingbird Society, activities are now digital. If you're looking for activities for kids, check out the printable coloring, drawing and word game activities. Follow us on our social channels for the latest Austin Parks Foundation news!
