So dang sweet, it is! It could be called a large fairy garden but I love calling it the “Living” dollhouse because I put dollhouse dolls and furniture in it.
Here's how I did it: I used a large box that I cut down to just 6 inches tall. I lined it with a plastic trash bag and poured in potting soil. Next we built a pathway with stones, planted flowers, grass seed (not yet sprouted), added wood stumps and a way we went!
Don't you love the mushroom/fairy furniture? Found it on Amazon on clearance! Score!
Shhh . . . I put a vacated wasp's nest in as a carpet! Ohhh – so fun!
I think is so rich and full of live to provide a dollhouse setting that has flowers and grass growing and elements of nature. We will continue to add to this dollhouse “landscape” until school ends.
Learning links: Next week I will begin telling stories with the little dollhouse people to demonstrate how to spin a story with these props. We will discuss the beginning, middle and end of my stories. I will offer storytelling for the children to do for the class much like a puppet show. Finally, Thursday and Friday I will ask the children to write about it. It is a full vibrant experience to take to paper.
This is so adorable!
This is a very interesting activity. I would really like to try this with my kids
This is a very interesting creative activity. I would really like to implement this in my classsroom
I love it how creative! And I love the nature feel to it!
What a creative idea – using nature as the basis for the doll house. It will be interesting to see how the environment interacts with the house. I wonder if any animals will take up residence! Renee
Oh what a grand idea! I had not thought of it! I should put little creatures in the setting. See if the children notice! Little squirrels and rabbits and such. Love your thinking!
That is so nice and fab.
Doll houses are not just a child’s play it is also a work of art that enlighten us.
Where did you find the fairy dolls????
Go to Amazon and search under “fairy dollhouse dolls.” They have several kinds. The set I purchased is no longer available but there several other adorable ones!
Sally,
If there’s any chance that your kids are not interested in this fairy dollhouse furniture anymore, I would love to buy it from you. I bought this set for my niece and then the dogs ate all the furniture out of the house. Now it’s all discontinued and I’m desperate to track down a set.
Be in touch!
what are those made of i would just love to know!:)
This is sooooo cute I’d like to have one for my doll house furniture collections! Not to mention that it’s a DIY. Pretty good job I say! Anyway, this is great. Makes me wanna buy again for myself. Although I’m old now.
If you don’t mind, think you can give me an insight about this: http://shop.sueryder.org/doll-house-furniture.html .. They’re a charity too. I wouldn’t mind buying from them.
Love this
Was working on storytelling with props with my 3s and 4s over the past week using a small square low water table. Working in our cooking/snack area I decided to use the freezer to make ice. Made ice pictures using large plastic containers freezing flowers, leaves and sliced strawberries into layers. Also added bulk pack ice cubes to tray. To increase interest on day 3 added artic story box characters to mix…includes orca whales, inuit people (with guns and on skidoos), whales, artic hares, igloos, walruses. Children were very interested, lots of collection making by younger ones, but the older did eventually, with a bit of modelling get the idea of creating a storyline using some of the characters.
Like your idea of the natural materials … wondering if a large baker’s tray might work well to contain soil. What sort of flowers have you put in?
I think a large baker’s tray might be just the thing. I put in flowers from my local nursery that were very economical! LOL! Money guided my choice!
I did add herbs one year and that really expanded the conversation. Picking the leaves of a mint plant and smelling it.
Just being honest this is magical.
So sweet! How often do you water and do you need to remove all the dolls and furniture to do so?
Thank you!
We water every other day and don’t move the furniture or dolls. It is actually possible to water around them!
This is just so lovely. I’ll begin tomorrow, and make a dinosaur land. I have 22 boys in my Kindergarten class!
After reading your post, I started to make a ‘story garden’ with my class today. We have started small, using arts and crafts to create the garden. Tomorrow we will add in real objects, wooden furniture, toys and objects as the children find them. I have a small class of young children and they all became involved in creating the garden, happily contributing in their own way.
I know the children will delight in their own creation. You will delight in watching your class engage in such meaningful play!
Hi Sally, this really inspired me I can’t wait to get all the things together and try it in my class, although you think this can work for the two’s class??
I think if you adapt the pieces so they are developmentally appropriate – absolutely!
Thank you for sharing yourbeautiful ideas. I would love to hear the simple stories that you told or see a sample of the writing. How old are the children?
Emma, this was my class of kindergartners (5 and 6 year olds), but could be adapted to other ages as well!
Thanks so much for sharing! Will definitely do some landscaping with the kids and create some stories.
My questions for you are:
How do you keep 2 1/2 to 3 year old kids attention long enough to create a story? And how do you prevent them from touching and putting peices in their mouths?
Your enthusiasm will certainly be contagious. You will be surprised to hear what stories very young children come up with from their own experiences. Always keep safety at the forefront of all materials, so make sure there are no small pieces in the dollhouse. Small children do like to put things in their mouths, so supervision and encouragement will help.
This is awesome. So creative. Thanks so much for helping me think outside the traditional box.
Wow,this is such an amazing idea to incorporate loose part to a story. Excellent!
Thank you Melissa!
So happy you enjoyed it.
Very realistic and engaging! Loved it
Thank you Sally! I am enjoying reading all the books! This doll house story idea is awesome! My daycare children and I spend all our time outside, so I am going to make one like this outside! Thanks again for all the amazing ideas!
This is one of the best hands on learning opportunities for children that I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you for sharing.
i love this. My kindergarten class reinvented a home for ants during my recent unit of inquiry on inventions (PYP) they had swimming pools dinner tables etc. one small boy also started a clothing line for ants. We had no ants so we drew ants on rocks. When I visited the US 2 years ago I went on the South Mountain Fairy trail in New Jersey. The community builds homes for fairies. I took lots of pictures and this was used as a start to the home for ants
I love this and can’t wait to try it. Though it will likely be a couple of months into the school year before we are ready. I teach 2’s and young 3’s so we will have to work our way up to this, I think.
I love the idea of adding flowers and seeds.
It is magic!!
what a wonderful idea!
it can also have a varying theme…depending on the story.
thank you so much for sharing!
Yes! It is flexible and open ended!
Beautiful! Love the idea in using natural materials.
It is really nice and interesting idea! And it’s in a natural form of activity also! Thanks for sharing.
This idea is so adorable! I would begin to create habitats and put the appropriate animals that belong in that habitat.
Nature of elements…. ingenious!
Hi Sally,
I am wondering if this could be adapted for under 2 years of age since they always put things into their mouths? I like the planting of herbs and edible flowers.
I think it is totally possible. I do not have experience working with toddlers but I would construct it following the protocols of what you know is developmentally appropriate and safe. If you do this – please share!
Hi Sally, can you give me some of your storytelling ideas with these props? I have created some Walnut people and I also have some fairies and small furniture. Is this box on the ground or do you have it on a table? I absolutely love this idea.
It was on the ground in this classroom. I have had them on a table as well. In regards to my storytelling ideas – I like to model “making-up” my own stories. I will use a basic story format like “once upon a time there lived two friends who loved to have tea parties. . ” or whatever. This really helps children see that storytelling is another form of play.