Fairies in a jar.

This is a neat idea I found reading Women’s World several years ago.  I liked it so much that I did this art project with my fifth grade students. This is a great project to do with kids right before Halloween!

    You will need: a clean mason jar with a lid (any size), glow in the dark paint*, old newspaper, a paint brush, an apron, and cleaning supplies (rags and water). It is also a good idea to have an apron for your child, as this project could get messy, and the paint does stain.  *Make sure the paint is “glow in the dark”, as I made this mistake the first time. The fairy jar will not have the same effect using regular paint. 
  
      Directions:
 1.   Prepare your workstation. 
 2.   Spread old newspapers on the table.
 3.   Gather your supplies.
 4.   Wear an apron, or old clothes.
 5.   Make sure the inside of the jar is clean and dry.
 6.  Take the paint and neatly dab the paint on the inside of   the jar. Start at the bottom of the jar. Dab small dots.
 The dots are the “fairies”. Try not to have the dabs touching.
 7.   When finished dabbing, allow the paint to dry. Very important:  allow the paint to dry in the sunlight.  This paint needs to sit in either bright light or sunlight to activate its glow-in-the-dark properties. 
 8.   Do not place lid on until all paint is dry.
 9.   Try it out!  Take your fairy jar outside when it is dark,
  it should glow in the dark.
 A note:  It is important to purchase the correct paint:  glow-in- the-dark paint. I usually buy the fluorescent paint. The fluorescent green works especially well. I usually buy my art supplies at Michael’s Art Supplies. This project is a lot of fun, and it doesn’t take much time. It is a good idea to make several of these at the same time. When Halloween comes around, they look so festive in widows or sitting on a ledge of your porch.
 Womens’ World, 2017
  
 **if you are a teacher, this activity could be a pre or post lesson for Fantasy Literature.  The kids could read a story, or make up stories about the fairies living in their bottle. Then, the kids could present their story and fairy bottle to the class.