Interplay’s My Fairy Garden®: Lilypad Gardens

pinkoddy

9 years ago

Spring is the time of year when children are more easily persuaded outside and get them thinking about new life. Whilst outside children can learn a lot through play and develop their morals and values – such as being caring for the environment. I am keen to help my children develop a loving, caring personality by providing opportunities to do so with toys can such as Interplay’s My Fairy Garden®

Interplay’s My Fairy Garden: Lilypad Gardens was the proud winner of the BTHA London Toy Fair 2016 Best New Toy Award, in the Creative Category. This product is great for child development – allowing children to grow and look after their own garden whilst learning about nature. The Fairy allows children to use their imaginations as well as provide someone to tell their worries to. Priced at only £19.99.

Interplay’s My Fairy Garden®: Lilypad Gardens Contains:

3 part Flowerpot House (Saucer, House & Flowerpot)
Fairy Figure – Lily the Summer Fairy. She loves flowers and nature and greeting the sun on a bright summer’s morning.
Frog Figure
3 x floating Lilypads
Sunflower Windmill
Packet of Grass Seeds
Instructions/Colour Activity Book

My thoughts on Interplay’s My Fairy Garden®: Lilypad Gardens

The My Fairy Garden®: Lilypad Gardens is a lovely addition to our home. It was simple to open, with minimal packaging which was all fully recyclable. There are clear visual instructions on how to assemble the Fairy Garden in the colour instruction booklet. The Lilypad Gardens has a clever design whereby if it rains (or a child over waters it) the water will drain out of the pot into the moat without effecting Fairy Lily’s home. The top half of the pot can be removed to play inside the fairy home, without disturbing what is growing. There is also a very sweet fairy door so that Lily can go in and out without having to life the lid.

We planted herbs in ours and I like the idea that it may encourage children to eat better because they can grow their own inside the pot. Of course this is where the creativity begins as children can decide whether they want to plant herbs, fruit/vegetables, flowers, or grow grass – and have it as a roof top garden.

I feel that the Lilypad Gardens is a nice sized pot for children to manage – big enough to grow and/or play in and maintain, plus not too heavy to remove. The booklet also explains which plants are particularly good for the Fairy Garden, and how to grow from seeds. There are also grass seeds provided and how best to help them grow, and maintain. This would be ideal if you were making a Roof Top Garden for Lily.

I was very happy with the product and the only thoughts of how the product could be improved are with the packaging and contents: The packaging shows various images of girls playing with the product which may be interpreted as not being suitable for girls – I would in future like to see boys on the box – and even a boy fairy, to encourage this kind of play for both sexes. I would like to see sets come with a trowel for planting, maybe even some gloves and a watering jug can – so that all you need to get is the soil, I can however see how it comes without to keep costs down and that children may already have these things.

There is so much scope for creative play with the My Fairy Garden®: Lilypad Gardens and the booklet sparks off children’s imaginations, with suggestions on how to make garden furniture and how to design the interior of the Fairy home. The product is suitable for indoors and outdoors – making it a toy accessible for all to use and encourage gardening in a small space.