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This post was written by Children's Museum Blog Ambassador, Katy Mann. Follow Katy's posts on the blog or follow her on Twitter @indywithkids.
I have this tendency of buying things for my children that require copious amounts of commitment...and cash.
For example, my children and I fell in love with the Mini Masterpieces: A Collection of Miniature Rooms at The Children’s Museum. When my sister was younger, my dad and brother built her a beautiful dollhouse for her Barbie dolls to live in. It was the same color as our real home and had honest to goodness hardwood floors. My grandfather made furniture and grandma clothed the dolls.
I remember spending hours playing with my cousin Josie’s dollhouse when we visited my aunt in Virginia. Josie had dollhouse furniture that any full sized housewive would be envious of. There were chandeliers, cabinet doors that opened and functioning lights. When a friend of ours offered to gift us his daughter’s beautiful victorian dollhouse, I jumped at the opportunity to give my girls their own little Mini Masterpiece. I had grand notions of filling the house with furniture, one room at a time.
Two years later, a family of six dolls spends their nights shacked up on the bare floors, huddled together to keep warm, eating tiny cans of fake food off of the floor while looking at a single Christmas tree. Still, we can’t help but spend time staring at the miniature rooms and grand houses in The Children’s Museum.
This summer we redirected our love of miniatures to a special activity. We spent an afternoon building fairy gardens during a workshop at a local garden center. Everything our fairies needed was right there and we could select containers small enough that our commitment for accessories couldn’t span too far beyond that day. We can add lights and benches here and there but for the most part, our fairies are fully equipped to survive.
Assembling the gardens was so much fun. The girls loved picking out accessories and structures and selecting the plants and creating the landscaping. I should have known that as soon as the gardens were set out, they wouldn’t be left alone. My girls have spent so much time sitting and moving things around, talking to their fairies and sharing secrets.
Which has brought back their love and interest in the dollhouse. Looks like we’ll be setting up a miniature kitchen later this week. I can’t complain. I remember the time I spent with my sister playing dolls into all hours of the night. Our imaginations ran wild and we are better people because of it. I’m excited about being the mom peeking in at my own children enjoying one another’s company and having a good time.
