Garden fun/mystery..want more ideas for child's imagination!

My daughter is now 17 months - I drove by a garden art place I've passed for years, either on the way to work or on wrong side of the road. There was a sale sign, so I did a quick U-turn.

Well, I found something to start a fun tradition with Lindsey (and also for the idle amusement of neighbors and any pedestrians who notice - my flower garden is quite close to the sidewalk). A traveling garden troll who moves around the garden (maybe once a month on the same date as Lindsey's birthday, on the full moon or something random).

Here he is - I was thinking of bringing him inside for the first snow (as part of an understanding about the seasons of the year), put him under the XMas tree, or (on top of the fridge for Thanksgiving), but always as a surprise, not telling her I'm moving him so she thinks he goes himself), And then, for her birthday in April - send the little guy outside for her to find in the garden (maybe with a small present or keepsake).

What would you name this little fella? Any other ideas?

This message was edited Sep 13, 2009 5:37 PM

Somehow I missed this. I think that's a great thing to do! I would name him "Gilly". I wish I could have done something like this with my daughter.

That is a nice idea! You could put little hats on him, too, for various holidays.

Kwanjin - cute name.... we'll have to see it it fits. I tend to be very non-creative, unlike some of my friends, so I feel like I have to plan in advance to do something cute and fun.

roybird - great idea! I can think of several - St. Paddy's Day (still cold and inside), 4th July with red white and blue and a flag, and maybe we could use it as a chance to learn about more cultures - and add a flag and maybe a "Happy Cinco de Mayo" or something each time.

*starting to warm up to this idea*

Easter bonnets are nice on garden statuary! Little Santa hats for winter?

Now this is getting fun - btw: I grew up in Los Alamos, went to college in Albuquerque before ending up via many places (including Ireland) in Albany. I love Hatch greeen chile and New Mexico red chiles. *homesick for the best food in the world*

Somehow I can't see lumnarias/farolitos down in the "hood" in Albany, but this is giving me some fun ideas.

Oh, I bet you could have farolitos and luminarias in Albany. There would just be all these former New Mexicans showing up out of nowhere. They'd be drawn by the beacons. ( My D.H. went to high school in Hamilton, N.Y. )

I think this is a fun idea.

We have trails through the woods. I have purchased little realistic animals, frogs, turtles etc and have "hid" them in the woods in natural locations. It is fun even for the adults, knowing what is real and what is not.

There is a large stump all grown with moss and ferns and has a "doorway" in the bottom. Looks like a home for a Gnome. I purchased one and tell the kids to be quiet on that corner, they may see the Keebler Elf coming out of his factory. Ha.

My great nephew, when he was 2, was quite fasinated with the jack in the pulpit flowers growing in the swamp. He came to visit a year later and asked to see the "puppets" in the woods. Took me 5 minutes to figure out what he was talkiing about, and then I marveled at his memory.

Something like this is GREAT for kids. I bet your daughter will remember this her whole life.

That's really neat. I like that idea. Good story about your great nephew.

:) Puppets.... love it!

I told the grandkids all between ages 4 and 8 that there was a treasure chest buried on my property but don't know where it is. I told them the way to find it was to listen for the magic clock that ticks all the time in it. You should have seen all the little ears to the ground trying to find it. Too Cute

What a great idea! Do you think that the halloween costume that you daughter wore last year would fit the gnome? It's almost time to get that stuff out and displayed now...

Ah - no, she wore a pumpkin and this little guy is about 6 inches tall, but this is giving more ideas, like how to save things from previous holidays and use the next year. So, whatever she wears this year, part of it goes on him next year.

We had a garden gnome named Ramble in our garden.....he had a habit of wandering through the yard and house and even went to visit neighbors a few times....my grandson made him a house out of rocks in the fern bed. Lindsey will love it.

Ramble....*hehehehehe* - too funny, and we do have neighbors that might join in the fun - next door, girl is a bout 2 1/2 or so.. and the people across the street have two children. I'm really warming up to this idea of little decorations, moving him, outfits. I'm looking forward to next Spring when the troll/gnome has his debut in the yard on Lindsey's birthday (April). I think we're going to go with a birthday balloon and a small token gift. I'm not big into shopping for tons of toys, instead want to focus on the experience. If this goes off well, when she's older, we can remember and share the experience when any gift is long-forgotten.

I like the idea of the troll house your g'son made. In fact, maybe the decorations should be up to Lindsey (after he mysteriously "rambles" to another part of the garden) - "oh, he left everything behind - how should we help him be comfortable in is new place?"

Maybe we can take pictures as he progresses along and make a little scrapbook to chronicle his adventures, adding a new picture each time he moves and Lindsey helps him settle in. It'll also be a good chronicle of the different phases of the garden throughout the year.

You are making "Prescious Memories"!

I really am trying to focus on activities, rather than things. Posting this thread, seeing other ideas is giving me ideas - funny thing, if a neighbor ever comments on how creative this is - I'll have to say the DG collective mind is creative.

Funny thing - that's how my garden evolved over the past years - seeing pictures, hearing ideas, co-ops, etc. - Unlikely I would have done it on my own, but seeing other people's successes gives me inspiration.

You can chronicle the garden and Lindsey growing up. Keep it all together and when she is 18 and going out on her own, you could give the book to her as a graduation gift. Just make sure you keep a copy of each picture for yourself....sort of a living record of your child and garden.