Last night my sister sent me this darling link, it is a child's project about making faery gardens. She reminded me that the two of us used to build faery gardens in the back yard as children. I had actually forgotten, but am not at all surprised.
Making a faery house is on my to do list of projects to create. Next year I am looking forward to creating some scenes that I will actually KEEP, instead of just creating miniatures and scenes to sell.
I do remember that as children my sister and I spent hours outside in the background. We created "soup", which was a mix of mud, twigs, rocks, and anything else we thought was worth adding. We played in the treehouse my Dad built for us. We climbed trees in the frontyard. We also rode bikes around the neighbourhood.
One of the reasons I am drawn to miniatures is that it gives me an opportunity to play as an adult. When we are playing we are wholly absorbed in what we are doing, it is time out of time. The ordinary stresses of life fall away.
Lately I have been reading books and articles about how adults in the western world need to play more! According to research that is now being done, play enhances creativity and improves work performance. Why does it always come back to work performance? I think we are too obsessed with working in North America.
There is another trend in North America I find even more disturbing. Many children today are not being given time to play. Their parents fill their schedules with activities like music lessons, sports, ect, to the extent that they don't have time to play! I think this is a grave mistake. I recently read an article in a parenting magazine on the subject. I couldn't find the article online, but I did find a similar one. I apologize to my international readers if they are unable to read it! I find that if I use Chrome Browser, most international websites translate to English.
Before I sign off, I think I need to promote my Etsy shop a little more on my blog. The last item I listed is getting a lot more attention than usual! It has been listed in two treasury lists, which makes me very happy.
I am also excited that I learned a new skill this week. Jane from MiniFanaticus Blog kindly taught me how to make printie cookbooks.
That's all folks.
Enjoy your weekend!
Ruth
In Denmark we have the same problem, the kids do not play much. This because, among other things, that children today are very front of PCs. I think that it is unhealthy for a modern society that children's imagination is in short supply. I could write for hours on this subject and you will get bored
ReplyDeleteSo I will just say, I agree with you Ruth.
Hugs
Wyrna
No, you would not get me bored! I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the subject. I think there are advantages on the changes and advances we have seen in technology. For example, I have met many wonderful new friends from around the world who share my love of the wonderful miniature hobby.
DeleteThe downside is many children spend too much time on computers and are too dependent on computers. I have teacher friends who say that their students don't look for information in books anymore, they only look for information on the internet and assume it is a credible source. Don't believe everything you read on the internet! This will leave you looking like a fool :P
Fairy gardens are great! My daughter and I started ours 2 days ago. We usually use a few planters or pots but this year we filled a old wheel barrow and started mossing it.
ReplyDeleteYeah hard work is rewarding as long as you get plenty of hard play in there also.
So at the end we were dirty and had a scrape or two but we smiled for hours and were proud to have just spent time together ;)
Good medicine for a sick world...
I agree! The researchers and child psychologists are now arguing that play teaches children to problem solve as well as other useful skills like fine and gross motor skills. By "micro-managing" children, hauling them from activity to activity in order to "build resumes" and help them get into the best preschools, prep schools and colleges, parents are actually setting up their kids for failure. They are creating kids who lack confidence and independence. I hope this will change. It is not how we intend to parent our kids, that's for sure!
DeleteI join in with Wryna...also totally agree! In Greece most Kids living in bigger towns have a heavier programm than any adult big manager!!! It is just horible. So many unneccesaryt activities for them..instead of just letting them play peacefully! Whereas for adults (!!) and students etc..now "Playhouses" are very modern and "in"! It is places like cafes where one can play games like monopoly and many many other table-games we used to play ages ago....!!!! They gather there and have real fun! It is something!!! at least they have realized that a pc is NOT all the world!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to read yoyr childhood memories..so nice! yes, miniature does take our mind off other things..which is a blessing ! :)
At least the adults in Greece play! They are farther ahead than many adults in North America where so much of the focus is on making more money so they can buy more and more stuff. I often wonder what the point of this is since you have to work so much in order to afford so much stuff that you don't actually have the time to enjoy all your stuff. There is a small but growing group of people in the west who are challenging this idea, and embracing the "less is more" concept. I think the recession caused a lot of people to reavaluate their priorities and realize that they got along fine with less money and felt more peaceful.
DeleteWhen I was little my cousin and I were convinced there were fairies in my grandmothers garden. There was a tree that had a scar on it that looked like a door. We would leave things for the fairies near it. Lots of fun. Its sad to think kids don't get this experience anymore. IndyPoppy
ReplyDeleteI think it is sad, but some kids (and adults! do). We can consciously choose to join the children in our lives in faery adventures. You're only as old as you feel, right? Never loose that childlike wonder.
DeleteHello Ruth,
ReplyDeleteI´m glad you are able to follow my blog!!
The fairy garden is a fantastic idea!!! We have no childs, but I think I will create one! I guess I´m still a kid. Thanks for sharing the link.
Greetings
Melanie
Hello from Spain: in my country children do not play with dolls. They spend hours in front of the TV and the console. A pity! Keep in touch
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a pity!
DeleteHugs,
Ruth
Hi Ruth! I remember running through the neighborhood all day playing at girlfriend's houses and not showing up until we heard our mom calling at the top of her lungs, for al her children to come home for supper! We would all emerge from all different parts of the neighborhood, after being gone from home for hours! NOW, playing at the neighbor's house and running wild through the streets like I did, holds a lot more dangers than it use to. Yes, it is a pity. My own recollections are things past that are no longer applicable to this day in age. Especially in the city. My son runs an after school care program and he said he took his kids to a park and encouraged them to try climbing some trees and they just looked at him like he was CRAZY! My son told me later that it was sad to watch.
ReplyDeleteelizabeth
P.S. Hey Ruth I In response to your inquiry left on a posting; have joined your blog and it shows up on my end but if it doesn't on yours let me know. I don't do too much google+ only because I keep forgetting that it is there! I also try to keep track of my reading list but only half of it shows up on the
ReplyDeletesidebar and I don't know how to correct that so that all the blogs are visable. I am also not too good about written instructions so unless my daughter actually shows me what to do, I am LOST!!! But never fear, I will keep coming back to visit and one day I shall master this blogging business! I just know I shall!
It is a right brain thing.
elizabeth
Hi Ruth, I loved this blog and I completely agree about children not given enough time to play and to use their imagination! Thanks for the inspiring link too that your sister sent.
ReplyDeleteMini Hugs, Jean
I'm glad you enjoyed it! The people who know me best know that at heart I'm a blabbermouth, and will talk for ages about all sorts of obscure topics. I'm very interesting in watching how technology affects and changes our everyday lives.
DeleteRuth, that is why I love my Barbie dolls! I NEVER stopped playing with them. I remember climbing in trees, playing jacks, hopscotch, jump rope, hulu hoop. Remember when having a bike meant freedom, that how we learned to get around the base we lived on and the only rule was not to ride in the street and be home by 5:OO. It was great! For those parents who don't encourage their children to play are missing out on the conversation that their kids found this place or discovered that place or better yet discovered shortcut that provided the shortest distance. In other words the skills of better geography, math, navigation, science and wonderful place on this great earth.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree Brini! Most of my childhood was spent outdoors. We loed going camping as a Family and I remember during the summer holidays when we had no school we would spend all day outside.
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