Summer is an excellent time to ensure that your kids are spending tons of time outdoors, soaking up the sunshine (wearing sunscreen, of course), and playing in nature. Want a fun activity to get them started? Try building fairy houses!

Fairy houses are miniature dwellings that encourage fairies and their friends to come for a visit. They encourage highly creative and imaginative play. Children have the opportunity to create a whimsical setting in the garden that offers hours of entertainment.

I first learned about Fairy Houses from my cousin’s daughter, Jocelyn. She has created a beautiful home in her mother’s garden for her fairy friends. I asked Jocelyn to share a bit about her creations. Here’s what she had to say:

What do you love most about making Fairy Houses?

“I love thinking about the fairies and hoping that they could bring me a little something for keeping them safe from the rain (because if it really does happen, then they can't fly with wet wings.) Sometimes I try to make them little umbrellas. I want there to be fun places for them to visit. They bring me flowers to help make it beautiful. They bring me spring stuff because I'm a nature fairy. I take care of the house and rearrange things so that the fairies are surprised a little bit each time they come.”

How would you describe the most beautiful Fairy House?

“It's kind of like a flower. It would be an upside down flower with a little door on it. The flower would be pinkish red. The door would be the color of the sunset and it would change colors in the sun. It would have a little garden around it with flowers that they brought me. There would be flower plants growing kind of like a teepee. There would be clothes – skirts and little dresses – inside it for the fairies.”

I adore Jocelyn’s creative spirit, and the whimsy that she brings to her garden. I used my Fiskars tools to create a few little “extras” for her fairies…a welcome sign, and flower shapes to create a garden path. I hope that Jocelyn’s fairies enjoy these little touches!