Imagine playing in a woodland grove. You could create an engaging scene for woodland characters, complete with tiny tables and chairs, a mini campfire and even magical doorways next to a tree.
What adventures do you think they will have? Where do they sleep, what do they eat, and what are they scared of?
Create small world kingdoms
Create small world kingdoms for them on trays, on carpets and artificial grass mats, tables and light boxes, indoors and out. Provide lots of natural materials like leaves, fir cones, conkers, acorns and sticks for the children to enhance play. The landscape could have a little bridge over tissue paper water for them to avoid getting their tiny feet wet. Create a woodland small world in a suitcase for children to set up and explore. Include ICT by using recordable buttons to record and play voices or to retell a story.
Use lots of loose parts materials to create an array of shelters for the woodland friends. What would their abode look like? Would it be a cottage, a secret lair, a castle or a sparkly cave? This mushroom house makes a perfect base for woodland folk, or wooden shelving.
Some of the characters have wings so that they can soar around having fantastical adventures. What is the secret to their magical powers? Do they say special words or have to sprinkle special fairy dust?
Create a treasure hunt
These appealing, charming characters can be used in so many ways. The children will create their own narratives. If the practitioner wanted to set more directed tasks, it could be in the form of a treasure hunt where children follow clues.
The fairies left a note at one lucky setting!
Imagine reading a special note from a fairy which tells you where they are hiding. It could be in the grass, behind the rock or amidst the leaves. Why not make your own stories together. What about Edgar, the wise old elf who lives in a plant pot and only comes out when the children have gone home. We found that having a basket full of all kinds of characters worked well. The children could select the one they wanted to best suit their story and the adventures they were about to take.
Childhood ought to be about lively imagination, awe and wonder, creativity and magical memories. Perhaps these elves and fairies could play their part in that.
This set of woodland folk are available FREE to NDNA members when you order £250 online (FRIENDS250). NDNA members only. Offer ends 31st October 2018.
