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December/January 2010 FamilyFun Magazine
Possibility Shop Thanksgiving

Bring the Outdoors In

Ideas for bringing nature into your child's home

QuestionSummer always piques my daughter's interest in nature--she's outdoors every minute! I thought it would be fun to bring the outdoors into her bedroom. Any suggestions?

Answer There's nothing quite like Mother Nature for inspiration. A nice big tree is a good place to start--a Stenciled Tree, that is. It's quicker and easier than you'd think, and the only special equipment you need is a stencil brush. Put some hooks among the foliage, and an assortment of stuffed animals will gladly call it home. If that whets your appetite for something more elaborate, go ahead and create an Entire Neighborhood, barnyard, or rain forest with paint and other materials. If your family is heading for the shore this summer, a beach-themed "Catch-a-wave" Table and Chair set might especially appeal to your daughter. Once again, stencils make professional-looking results easy. Don't forget to look up. For the ceiling, you and your daughter could make a colorful Butterfly Mobile. And how about some bedtime stargazing? Make a Celestial Mobile of moons and stars from glow-in-the-dark Sculpey or buy glow-in-the-dark star and planet kits (available in most nature stores) and decorate the ceiling to resemble the constellations. Alternatively, use dime-size dots of inexpensive glow-in-the-dark fabric paint. Or try this idea from our message boards: Trace your child's body with chalk on black paper, then give her stick-on glow-in-the dark stars to outline the shape. Cut it out and attach it to the ceiling, and she can go to sleep contemplating her astral alter ego.

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