When snow lies on the hills, When frost has spoiled their mossy beds, And crystallized their rills? ~Thomas Haynes Bayly

Fairies have long captured the imaginations of poets, artists, and children (of all ages). But where do these small wisps of light with their delicate wings and magical abilities reside? In tiny fairy houses and gardens, of course! The seventh graders delved into the realm of the fairies to create whimsical clay homes for these wee friends. Taking inspiration from mushrooms, tree stumps, pumpkins and acorns, the students designed and decorated houses with fairies in mind. Some chose to focus on natural materials such as leaves and vines, others added teeny mailboxes, stone edging and landscaping. The clay will be glazed and fired and then the finished houses will be temporarily placed in the woods to photograph in their imagined locations. We also took a trip to view the Wee Fairy Garden at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme. Twenty-six “houses” created by artists line the grounds–this year all related to a Steampunked Alice in Wonderland theme.