The main packaging is a sturdy cardboard box, which my postman trashed, so this is a rear view. Inside there are lots of smaller separate components which are mainly packaged in plastic bags. You can play instantly, so it's Christmas morning-friendly, but lacking points for Earth-friendly.
Included are: several different colours of sand, small gems, glittery stones, 4 characters, an arbour, a rainbow, 2 magic trees, instructions, 2 double-ended tools, cylindrical terrarium cover, plus of course the actual garden base itself - in shocking pink!
Setting up your garden is loads of fun. One of my boys took charge and this is his design. He's colourblind, but pink stands out really well for him, so it's actually a pleasure to use it when you are making something to look attractive. 2 of my other boys are colourblind too, and they feel the same.
The tree is the star of the show, and you are given a traditional UK tree shape and a cactus. The magic occurs in a hidden reservoir underneath the tree, which you fill with a special liquid that will seep upwards slowly into the tree and evaporate away, leaving only the crystal deposits.
My son has saved the cactus to be his 2nd arrangement. You are given enough sand to completely replenish your garden and make colour changes, as well as the extra tree.
There's an obvious space for the 'water', which is provided by a bag of quite firm slime. You can make ripples which stay for hours, but it'll be flat and calm seas again by morning. Some of the sand inevitably gets onto the water, but you can brush most off, and to hide what's left, take out the slime and play with it to mix it up again. Easy.
This is a Zen Garden and it's as calming and relaxing to play with as any more grown up and very expensive Zen Garden. I think we're all enjoying using the little rake and other tools to make heaps of sand, draw lines and patterns, and then smooth it all over again.
There are some extra little decorations for your garden. The biggest are the arbour, which my son has decided is a bridge, and the rainbow, which we have in Unicorn Dreamland at the back. There are also some gorgeous little glittery stones and tiny translucent gemstones.
The little characters add the last dimension, and they're actually very sweet. The llama is overall favourite, but I have a soft spot for the panda and the inflatable pink bird. Apparently unicorns aren't as popular here as everywhere else...
The tree takes a while to get started, but once it does, it speeds up and changes by the hour. We waited 11 days before we saw anything at all, just wisps. On day 14 it's gone crazy and over the course of the day we've watched it get bigger and bigger. This is a great opportunity for some simple science.
What is the tree made from? How do the crystals form? What are they made from? Why does the tree start to grow nearer the bottom first? Will the crystal growth speed up when it's warm, and how can we measure that or test it? Why are the crystals pink, when the liquid was clear?
Every time I walk into my living room someone has a Magic Garden tool in their hand and is fidgeting, playing in the sand or completely redesigning, so clearly it's a hit here. My son loves it and feels it's very personal because he chose the colour scheme. The shocking pink is only a bonus to him, although it might put a few boys off.
The DIY Wonder Magic Garden is made by So MAGIC and suitable for children aged around 8+. Other sets are available, including the DIY Magic Terrarium as reviewed by AK at The German Wife. Available now at the incredibly reasonable price of £19.99rrp from Smyths and other stores, including Amazon. Here's my affiliate link...
We were sent our DIY Wonder Magic Garden Terrarium for review by Canal Toys. Amazon links are affiliate, which means I earn a few pence as a thank you if you order through my link, but you won't ever pay any extra.
I love the fact that there is an extra tree (cactus) so they can grow another one! Molly-May would love this set too especially because of the slime!
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