Building Fairy Houses and Gnome Homes with children has always been one of my favorite activities! Not only do they get to be out in nature while building them, but all of the materials are natural as well. The tactile sensations of being in outside, feeling the sun on your back and imagining a tiny little fairy or gnome inhabiting the structure you are designing and engineering are priceless!
MATERIALS:
sticks, blades of grass, leaves, rocks, seashells, flowers, pieces of bark or wood chips…
Optional materials: clay
TIME FRAME:
15 – 60 minutes
PROCEDURE:
Think about where a fairy or a gnome might live and what types of materials they might use to build their home. Think about what the structure might look like…would it look like your house? Like a tee-pee? Might it be nestled against a tree or in the bushes or might it be out in the open? Once you have decided how and where you’d like to build your tiny home gather your materials and begin. You can create a simple home or an elaborate community that includes multiple fairy houses, a community garden, a playground and paths.
REFLECTION:
How do you think fairies and gnomes would choose to build their homes? How might these tiny home be the same as your own home? How might they be different? If you could design your “dream” home, what would it include? Which features in fairy houses would be different than the features in your own home? Which features would be the same?
TIPS & IMAGININGS:
Recycle an Altoids tin to use as the base of your tiny home or build your home outside somewhere.
Imagine how it might feel to be tiny and live in a tiny home…imagine how large the petals of flowers would look or how hard it would be to move a small rock…
CONNECTIONS:
This activity fits perfectly as an extension to your Nature Walk. Simply carry a bag with you on a walk and collect items as you see them. As you walk, look around for small nooks and corners that could possibly be the site of a tiny home.
TIDBITS:
Gnomes are tiny, human beings that look like humans and originated in Scandinavian folklore over 1500 years ago. While some people believe they are kind and helpful, others believe they are unkind and like to play tricks on humans.
xoxo,
M
we are reading a book called “the monster princess” and I do believe it is Avi’s first introduction to gnomes. What a timely activity for us to do together — especially now that we finally have warmer temps!!!
How wonderful! Thank you for sharing The Monster Princess! I love resources that weave in together! Supplemental materials and activities are the best! Enjoy creating your Gnome Home!!!