Create a winter fairy garden and invite children to engage in small world imaginative play with this frozen winter wonderland. Pretend play allows children to flex their creative muscles and develop their imaginations.

This DIY winter fairy garden small world can provide hours of unlimited imaginary play for a young child. Instructions for this frozen winter wonderland include DIY elements that can help children develop fine motor skills, stimulate the sensory system, and improve literacy skills.

Unlike most fairy garden ideas, this winter wonderland does not contain live plants or soil, instead, it contains twig winter trees and is filled with Epsom salt snow!

DIY winter fairy garden with faeries playing in the winter wonderland small world

Fairy Garden Winter Wonderland Small World Play

While some forms of imaginative play are larger than life, fairy gardens like this winter small world, are miniaturized versions. Dollhouses are probably one of the most well-known forms of small world imaginary play. Our daughter spends hours playing with her tabletop fairy garden during the dark days of winter chittering and chattering away with her fairy friends.

Like most fairy gardens, this fairy winter wonderland small world includes sensory play elements, fine motor activities and can enhance literacy skills. However, unlike most miniature gardens, this winter fairy garden does not require live plants or soil. Instead, invite children to decorate pony bead winter trees and play with the Epsom salt snow!

Epsom salts have a wonderful sensory quality to them. My daughter loves them so much I caught her playing with her bare feet in the tray one day!

Winter Fairy Garden Imaginative Play Supplies

Wooden Tray – We used the tray that came with this wooden dough tools set. This wooden serving tray would also work well.
White tea candle house, fairy house, or painted rock fairy houses
Flameless candles or beeswax tealight candles (optional)
Fairy Toys or DIY Winter Fairies, woodland animals, or Disney Frozen Figurines
Epsom salt
Mixed blue pony beads
Rhinestone pinecones (optional)
Pruning shears
Twigs and/or small branches
Floral foam or old Playdough

Related: How to Make a Fairy Garden

winter fairy garden idea with pony bead decorated winter trees and Epsom salt snow

Fairy Winter Wonderland Small World Step by Step Directions

Most fairy gardens and small worlds look detailed and complex, however, they are surprisingly easy to put together. This fairy winter wonderland is no exception. My daughter and I made this cute little winter fairy garden in less than 20 minutes.

There are several different types of toys or figurines that can be used with this winter wonderland small world; fairy toys, woodland animals, or Frozen movie figurines!

Follow the detailed step-by-step instructions written below, or, scroll down to print the basic directions.

Related: Beach Fairy Garden Ideas

Step 1 – Gather twigs or small bare branches

Collect twigs and/or small branches. Find bare branches and twigs that have limbs small enough in diameter to decorate with pony beads.

Step 2 – Trim bare branches to look like small winter trees

Use pruning shears to trim twigs and bare branches to look like small winter trees.

How to cut twig trees for the winter fairy garden wonderland small world

Step 3 – Trim floral foam or mold old playdough

Trim blocks of floral foam to fit or roll 2-4 cups of old playdough into a large fat worm the length of the wooden tray. Mold and press the playdough or floral foam into the back of the tray lengthwise.

Mold play dough into the back of the tray for the Fairy winter wonderland small world pretend play

Related: Tree Stump Fairy Garden

Step 4 – Plant twig trees in the playdough

Invite children to place twigs trees into the floral foam or playdough. This is a great activity for developing hand-eye coordination.

Place twig trees into the play dough for the winter fairy garden.

Step 5 – Fill the tray with Epsom salts

Epsom salts are a wonderful ingredient for sensory play. My daughter loved the Epsom salts in this winter fairy garden so much I caught her playing with her feet in the tray–Too cute!

Step 6 – Invite children to decorate the twig winter trees with pony beads

This is an excellent fine motor activity that children can continue once the winter fairy garden is finished.

We keep a small bowl of mixed blue, white, and, clear pony beads near our fairy winter wonderland small world. The pony beads often end up in the snow where they look just as lovely.

How to decorate winter trees with pony beads for DIY fairy garden

Step 7 – Create a Winter Fairy Garden Scene

Place fairy toys, woodland animals, or Frozen movie figurines and a fairy house into the fairy winter wonderland small world.

Put a flameless tea candle into the fairy house if desired, or make fairy house painted rocks to include in your winter fairy garden DIY.

Step 8 – Invite children to play with winter fairy garden small world

This fairy winter wonderland small world is fun to put together and provides unlimited hours of pretend play. Playing with it is a wonderful way for children to develop fine motor skills, the sensory system, and literary skills. Make one with your child that includes their favorite winter toys for even more fun!

Winter fairy garden with pony bead trees and Epsom salt snow instead of plants and soil.

How to Make a Winter Fairy Garden

Materials

Wooden tray – We used the tray from this Wooden Dough Tools Set. A Wood Serving Tray would also work well.
White tea candle house or painted rock fairy houses
Flameless candles (optional)
Fairies or DIY Winter fairies
Epsom salt
Mixed blue pony beads
Rhinestone pinecones (optional)
Pruning shears
Twigs and/or small branches
Floral foam or old playdough

Instructions

Gather small twigs or bare branches for the winter fairy garden.
Trim bare branches to look like small winter trees.
Mold old playdough, or trim floral foam, and place it in the back of the tray.
Plant twig trees upright into the floral foam or playdough.
Fill the tray with Epsom salts.
Invite children to decorate the twig trees with pony beads.
Place the fairies and accessories to create a winter fairy garden scene.

Notes

Unlike most DIY fairy gardens, this winter wonderland small world does not require live plants or soil. Instead, invite children to decorate winter trees with pony beads and play in the Epsom salt snow!

Search Rhythms of Play