“Fairy Houses… Unbelievable! A Photographic Tour ” is an astounding, entrancing photographic tour of fanciful but real fairy houses imaginatively constructed from found natural treasures.

Here are a fabulous array of exquisite fairy houses, including fairy gardens and vegetable houses, fairy tale themed houses, seaside homes for mermaids and fairy friends, whimsical villages, and fairy arts and amusements. Children are encouraged to create their own fairy houses from seed pods, sticks, nutshells, sea wrack, and other natural components. Exquisite detail in the color photos of miniature fairy homes is enchanting. A favorite is the fairy library, featuring tiny, birch bark covered volumes, with signs proclaiming glitter recipes, a lullaby lounge, and a handicap area. Hours of creative activity are portrayed in each photo treasure, encouraging children to activate and use their capacities for imagination, creativity, fun, and free play connecting with nature.

“Fairy Houses…Unbelievable!” is part of the Fairy Houses Series, which can be found at, www.fairyhouses.com.

Here is good fun for children of all ages.

Gardeners are planting the seeds of imagination and watching them grow. Through building garden fairy houses, families are coming back outside to enjoy nature’s daily magic.

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Originating on islands off the coast of New England, building fairy houses is a family tradition that dates back for generations. Tucked in the hollow of a tree, under a rocky ledge or as the centerpiece for a flowerbed, fairy houses are small structures made entirely from natural materials you can find right in your own garden. These whimsical abodes can be built from twigs, bark, leaves, stones, feathers, seashells, dried flowers or husks. The only rule is not to harm living things or the fairies won’t come.

Popularized in recent years by Tracy Kane, noted author and illustrator of The Fairy Houses Series®, building fairy houses captures young imaginations and encourages children to observe the wonders of nature right outside their own home. “Building fairy houses is an activity that the entire family can enjoy together,” Kane said. “It encourages children to venture outdoors and observe the environment close-up, on a scale they can relate to and understand.”

Tracy Kane’s Series includes five children’s books and a DVD. Books include illustrations and photographs, along with instructions on how to build a fairy house. In the latest book, Fairy Houses and Beyond!, Tracy and her husband Barry Kane take readers on a pictorial tour of the evolving world of fairy houses for all locales and seasons. It includes entire fairy house neighorhoods, coastal communities, theaters, and even a fairy house spa. The book shows what can be done to transform your garden using a little creativity and the plentiful natural materials that surround us.

“The magic of building fairy houses begins when children start collecting materials to build their own fairy house,” Kane notes. An important benefit is that children leave the TV, computer and video games heading outdoors on a voyage of discovery. Collecting natural building materials is a learning experience that inspires awareness and an appreciation of nature.

Then the challenge comes when children and families begin the job of designing and building their fairy houses. “No two houses are alike,” Kane observes. “They are as varied as one’s imagination and as unique as their creators. They can be simple or elaborate, colorful or camouflaged, impromptu or intricately designed.”

Once the house is complete, children wait and watch to see if the fairies will move in. “They soon discover that fairies often come disguised as toads, butterflies, birds, bees, chipmunks, or even spiders,” Kane said. “All living creatures are welcome. Children observe and learn about the wonders of nature, teeming with life and activity right in their very own gardens.”

The Fairy Houses Series® has received eleven prestigious awards and has been critically acclaimed as a “must-have for children’s collections.” Books and DVD in the Fairy House Series® are available directly from Light-Beams Publishing, IPG and major wholesalers.

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Contact Mark Forman
mforman@light-beams.com

What would happen if you built a house for the fairies to live in? Would they come to visit?

This is the challenge. And all generations – kids, parents and grandparents – are eagerly heading outside and building these imaginative habitats for fairies to visit!

Suggested Guidelines

• Make your fairy house from pieces of nature, blending into it’s surroundings, making them almost hidden
• Don’t use artificial materials
• Don’t pick living materials – use fallen branches, dead leaves, pine cones, shells, feathers, etc.
• Respect nature and it’s creatures
• Imagine

You build a special house made from pieces of nature for the fairies to visit, then what? You wait… Chances are high that you will see Nature’s visitors first – such as grasshoppers, squirrels, frogs, or deer. The sheer fun of observing these special and friendly visitors to your house conveys the magic of nature’s daily wonders. These are the subtle messages woven throughout the Fairy Houses Series®. Observe, be patient, and you will see a wonderful world dimension that is there every day, if you take the time to look. Of course, the fairies can come, and that’s where the imagination is left to soar. Did I imagine a fairy? Do they live in-between the things that we see?

A wave of creative activity sweeping the country

What appears to have started on a few small islands off the coast of Maine, is now sweeping the country! Due to the success of Tracy Kane’s critically acclaimed book FAIRY HOUSES, her new book FAIRY BOAT, and the companion multi-award winning video KRISTEN’S FAIRY HOUSE, word is getting out about this very unique and highly creative activity.

Kane stumbled across these small, unpretentious structures when visiting several islands off the coast of Maine . Apparently, visiting children and families have been building fairy houses for decades. She saw a young girl checking her house to see if the fairies had come to visit. The child’s excitement was contagious, and Kane started making one herself. “It was a combination of ingredients an artist finds irresistible – creativity, nature and a pinch of magic,” she recalls. By the time her first house was finished, the story about a girl who builds fairy houses was just beginning.

The Success is in the Sharing

Why is The Fairy Houses Series® creating such a buzz among all ages? It’s mainly in the sharing. The concept of Fairy Houses can be shared in different ways:

• Building fairy houses is so much fun when kids team up and share with siblings, parents, and especially grandparents.
• Reading the books to a child during the day or at bedtime, are special times to share imaginations
• Viewing the video with friends, brothers, sisters, or the whole family!

The satisfaction of building unique habitats – alone or as a team – that may be lived in by creatures of the natural world or even a fairy family is a very special feeling!

And then there’s the Quiet Time

In this fast-paced world, the building of fairy houses presents special opportunities for a child to spend quite time, alone. Imagining, observing, creating, and connecting with Nature.

Any Time, Almost Anywhere

This is not just for special privileged kids or families. Fairy houses can be built just about anywhere, and it doesn’t cost a thing. Try parks, fields, beaches, vacant lots, or even your own back yard! Spring, Summer and Fall are good times to build, but you can even watch visitors to your fairy house throughout the Winter, especially if they are in your own garden!

Try it, and catch the buzz!

There’s only one way to find out how much fun building fairy houses can be, try it! Collect a few twigs, leaves, shells, feathers, and share the idea with a child. You may be quite amazed at the creative process at play. Who’s got time for TV anyway?

Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move Outside” initiative gets a boost from inspired Fairy House builders across the USA. This unique activity offers a great way to get children outside and excited about the natural world.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Mark Forman
mforman@light-beams.com

What is a Fairy House?

Fairy Houses are made from twigs, bark, leaves, stones, feathers, seashells, and other natural materials to attract fairies and nature’s friends. If you make a house, will you get visitor? This is what engages children’s imaginations and sparks the creative process. The pride and joy is clearly evident on excited faces as children design the “perfect” house that will surely attract special visitors. These whimsical habitats are as unique as their creators – ranging from the very simple up to elaborate “fairy mansions.”

The benefits of building Fairy Houses are many

• Encourages curiosity of the natural world
• Kids are inspired to head outside and use their imaginations
• Nature-play teaches appreciation and respect for the environment
• Fun for all ages

Building fairy houses has been popularized by author/illustrator, Tracy Kane’s award-winning “Fairy Houses Series® of books. Having discovered this tradition that originated on islands off the coast of New England, Kane was inspired to create what has become a classic series. According to Kane, “Building fairy houses is a fun way to discover the outdoors and is great exercise.”

A National Problem

“Let’s Move Outside” is Michelle Obama’s program designed to help children become healthier and more involved in nature and outdoor activities. It highlights a national recognition of problems with childhood obesity and their disconnect with the outdoors. Richard Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods,” concludes that many children are becoming alienated from nature, suffering from what he terms “nature-deficit disorder.” Building fairy houses offers a unique remedy through an activity that inspires an appreciation of the environment.

Imagination at Play

The family activity of creating fairy habitats engages children’s imaginations and rekindles interest in the natural world. A pine cone becomes a tree, pieces of bark become a roof, a shell becomes a bathtub, acorn caps become dishes. Will they get a visitor? Perhaps a chipmunk, frog or butterfly…and of course the potential for fairy guests!

Fairy Houses…Everywhere!

Fairy Houses villages are springing up in parks, schoolyards, nature centers, and botanical gardens across the country. With the help of “Fairy Houses” and other creative ideas that support the “Let’s Move Outside” initiative we are re-connecting Kids with the outdoors and helping them become tomorrow’s stewards of our sensitive environment.

Revival of Old New England Tradition Offsets ˜Nature Deficit Disorder”

Building Fairy Houses Reconnects Kids with Nature

Educators, environmentalists and physicians are advising that children need to take time off from their computers, televisions and video games; step outside and reconnect with nature. With children spending too much time focused on electronic pursuits, many are suffering from a malady known as “nature deficit disorder.”

The phenomenon, identified by author and educator Richard Louv, has inspired an international movement to reconnect children to the environment. Recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, Louv has sparked a national conversation about the disconnection between children and nature. His latest book, Last Child in the Woods proves children need nature as much as nature needs children. It has produced nationwide initiatives designed to ‘Leave No Child Inside’. This connection to nature is proving vital for the emotional and physical health of children.

Leave No Child Inside has gained momentum, producing a host of activities nationwide. In a revival of an old New England tradition dating back for generations, children are rediscovering the wonders of building fairy houses from natural materials. Tucked in the hollow of a tree, under a rocky outcrop, on a wooded path, a beach or right in your own garden, fairy houses are being erected by young architects. These whimsical abodes can be built with twigs, bark, leaves, stones, feathers, seashells, dried flowers or husks. The only rule is that no living thing is harmed – or the fairies won’t come.

Popularized in recent years by Tracy Kane, noted author and illustrator of the The Fairy Houses SeriesTM, building fairy houses is an activity that stimulates young imaginations and encourages children to observe the wonders of nature right outside their door,” Kane said. “It encourages children to venture outdoors and observe the environment close up; on a scale they can relate to and understand.”

Tracy Kane’s Fairy Houses SeriesTM includes five children’s books and one DVD, with illustrations, photographs and instructions on how to build a fairy house. The best-selling series has received six prestigious awards and has been critically acclaimed by educators as a “must have for children’s collections.” It has inspired a host of community activities and events ranging from fairy house tours, exhibits, plays and ballets.

Interacting with the Environment

“All too often, a child’s experience of nature is through a television program featuring far-away locales and exotic animals,” Kane said. “Building fairy houses, on the other hand, encourages children to interact with their own environment and observe the wonders of nature right outside their door. Studies have shown that adults who love the environment often had great outdoor experiences as kids.”

The benefit of building fairy houses begins when children start collecting materials for their miniature structures. “You can see the joy on their faces when they find just the right rock, a feather, a piece of driftwood or a shell,” Kane said. “Advised never to harm any living thing, a reverence for nature is encouraged at the outset. Collecting materials teaches children to carefully observe the world in which we live, and to experience it with all their senses.”

Building fairy houses has been praised by educators as an activity that simulates creativity. “We are constantly amazed by the variety of fairy houses we see,” Kane commented. “No two are alike. They can be simple or elaborate, colorful or camouflaged. We have seen children build entire fairy house neighborhoods, complete with theaters and shops. They even furnish their fairy houses with miniature tables, chairs and beds. The creations are as varied as the imaginations of the young builders.”

Waiting for the Fairies to Arrive

Once the house is built, children watch and wait for the fairies to arrive. “They soon discover that fairies often come disguised as toads, butterflies, birds, bees, chipmunks or even spiders,” Kane said. “All living creatures are welcome. Children watch and wait in awe, learning about the wonders of nature, teeming with life and activity right in their own environment.”

Fairy houses help build an awareness of the natural world and the forces of nature. “Kids rush outside to repair their fairy house when the wind blows the roof off or a rainstorm washes away the foundation,” Kane said. “Parents report that they observe children playing for hours – expanding their houses, building roads and doing home improvements.”

Building fairy houses has become an activity for all seasons. Even in winter, children can build fairy house igloos from ice and stone. “It encourages an awareness of the cycles of nature and the beauty that each season holds,” Kane added. “And just as they once did, children are again going outside to play.”

Books and DVD in the Fairy Houses SeriesTM are available directly from Light-Beams Publishing, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, New Leaf, BWI, Follet and other fine distributors.

Parents are applauding their child’s responses to building fairy houses, seeing them engage so positively with nature, the environment, friends, and family. All family members can share this activity. Often, all three generations team up to build a fairy house that is just right! The sharing and cooperation is extraordinary. Now, residents of the retirement community can cherish these special moments on a regular basis. It is win-win for all involved.

Families have been building fairy houses on islands off the coast of Maine for decades. Interest in this phenomenon has been sparked due to the release of “The Fairy House Series” of children’s picture books and video, by Tracy Kane. “Connecting Kids and Nature … with a pinch of Fairy magic!” is the motto. “The real goal of the series,” says Kane, “is encouraging children to discover the daily wonders of the natural world.”

Inspired by The Fairy Houses Series®, community members of the Town of Falmouth in cooperation with the Baxter School for the Deaf and the Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Land officially designated an area of parks land to a “Fairy Houses Village.” This inspiring action has benefited the community with a permanent area on beautiful Mackworth Island for the recreation of building fairy houses!

Kane is a resident of New Hampshire and discovered fairy houses when vacationing on Monhegan Island. “I was captivated by partnering with nature to create these unpretentious habitats. It was the combination of ingredients an artist finds irresistible – creativity, nature … and a pinch of fairy magic!”

Gardeners and environmentalists are big fans of Fairy Houses. The “fairy village” theme opens up all kinds of ideas. Kane has done workshops at Garden Clubs, Horticultural Societies, Audubon Centers, as well as many Schools and Libraries throughout New England.

Give building fairy houses a try with your family, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself rolling up your sleeves and catching the fairy houses building bug!