“Sparkle up, charmers!” If you aren’t familiar with this phrase, then you need to be introduced to Nick Jr.’s latest show, Little Charmers. The magical land of Charmville is the setting for the show, and the three main characters are Hazel, Lavender, and Posie. These girls are Charmers-in-Training, and in each episode you’ll find them practicing their magical powers (and of course, having a few mishaps along the way!).

My girls, ages 3 and 6, were instantly charmed by the show, and after watching an episode with them (there are a few free episodes online if you don’t have cable!), I really liked it, too! In my home, we LOVE to practice our own magic skills and make potions and pixie dust and those types of things, so watching a show about little ones practicing their magic was awesome! 🙂 But of course, the key messages aren’t about magic at all, but rather about friendship and teamwork and building self-confidence in the face of obstacles. These messages are SO welcome in my home right now, as we have a first grader who is learning not only to read, but also to spell and do addition, too. That’s a lot of really hard stuff! She needs examples of other kids failing at first, because that’s really how we grow…we have to get it wrong sometimes before we get it right!

After we got to know the Little Charmers by watching a few videos, it was time to start our own magical play time. We were sent a few of the great Little Charmers products that are out right now, including Posie’s Magic Wand, the Hazel Magic Doll and the Plush Pet Seven (Hazel’s sidekick).

Inspired by our fun new toys and by the magic in the show, we decided to work on our own special stardust potion!  

I think having a super fun magic DIY project to go along with your Little Charmers toys is a great idea! Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Little Charmers Stardust Potion.

• 1 small glass container with a lid (if you want to re-use the container later, make sure it has a wide mouth)
• cotton balls
• 2 food coloring colors (I recommend these combos: red and blue, yellow and red, or yellow and blue)
• silver glitter
• water
• smaller glasses (for mixing up your food coloring)
• Little Charmers toys (optional, but they do enhance the experience!)

To begin, mix your food coloring in with 1/2 cup water in one of your small glasses. Add a full layer of cotton balls to your potion container, and then pour the colored water on top. Be sure to use your magic wand to cast a spell on your water before you add it!

You want this layer of cotton balls to be wet but not completely soaked. Now add a layer of silver glitter. And now it’s time to add a second layer of cotton balls on top. You don’t want any of the first color layer to be soaking through this second layer.

Now it’s time to mix 1/2 cup of water with your second food color choice. Repeat the process of putting a magic spell on your water before pouring it over the cotton balls. Hazel does a great job at this if you want to have her help. Don’t forget to add the glitter, too!

Depending on how tall your container is,  you may need to repeat this process a third time. The end result should look something like stardust (especially if you use your imagination a bit!). The colors will slowly mix together, giving you a really beautiful result.

We’re having a lot of fun watching Little Charmers and playing with the Little Charmers toys. I think they are the perfect holiday gift! Visit the Little Charmers website to make this holiday season magical!