I recently rented the new release movie in the Disney Tinker Bell series: Secret of the Wings. The kids enjoyed it, and I noticed our fairy dolls pop up around the house in the weeks after. I didn’t sit down to watch the entire movie with the children, but from the snippets I got it’s about Tinker Bell meeting Periwinkle from the Winter Woodlands, with the theme of friendship and family.
I love the change of seasons; it’s something I often mention to my husband. “I would love to live somewhere where the seasons really change! The white of Winter verses the green of Summer.” Here in Brisbane, there’s really only two seasons: Summer and Autumn. And so, I was inspired by my love of seasons and this movie which combines them, plus the obvious interest my children had in playing with fairy dolls, in a simple play scene.
I do love this sort of thing: facilitating play that’s an experience. Not always possible but I love when it comes together. So, we rented the DVD and I had all the things I needed for the play scene ready to go when the time was right for hours of afternoon fun. It really (really) only takes under 5 minutes to set up.
What you need
A variety of plastic containers. I used 1 x rectangle, 1 x round and 3 x different sized cups (for the ice stepping stones).
Large plastic container (underbed storage size is perfect)
A stick or branch
3 stones
Leaves or Fake flowers
Fairy dolls
Winter Woodlands Side
The kids were all kinds of thrilled with the big blocks of ice, I can tell you! To create the Winter Woodlands side, freeze the ice blocks over night and when the time is right to play, turn out the ice from the containers and place at one side of the underbed storage container. Ice like this, without the water, lasts for at least a couple of hours (and I noticed my children playing with the scens days after, even though there was a fine layer of water at the base).
Summer Side
For the Sumer side, we used a section a branch which we decorated by pushing on collected leaves. A few stones (or bricks) can be used to hold the stick in place. We also put a few fake flowers to brighten it up. Only thing left to do was to join the Winter and Summer side by adding a few stepping stones to meet the ice steps.
That’s it!
Easy! We already had a few Tinker Bell dolls (they were about $7 each) but any dolls/fairies can be used…or even animal figures and pet shop toys. You can extent this play idea by making fairy clothes too. Tutorial in this post: DIY (No Sew) Doll Clothes.
7 Comments
Frau_Mahlzahn
February 22, 2013 at 4:26 pmHaha, I’m sitting right at the window and watching the snow fall down — snow of which we had plenty this winter, and you can’t imagine how much I’d love to live somewhere where there are only the seasons autumn and summer…. Well, okay, add spring to that, too… (Okay, on the other hand, I need winter to really have the fealing I deserve spring — but IT’S. BEEN. ENOUGH!
Btw. I like your idea with the ice blocks, and will try that sometime…
So long,
Corinna
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 24, 2013 at 4:08 pmWe need to trade, obviously.
Penny
February 24, 2013 at 6:36 amWhat a lovely way to combine season changes into play. Love it!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 24, 2013 at 4:08 pmThanks Penny.
Emma @ Family Life Central
February 24, 2013 at 11:42 amAwesome idea! I have all boys so don’t think they would go for the fairy idea but I could totally make a scen from Ice Age! Thanks.
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 24, 2013 at 4:08 pmOh, it would work very well as an Ice Age play scene too, you’re right!
Anushka
July 7, 2013 at 5:31 pmI love both fairies.
They r the cutest in the world.