How to Go for a Fairy Hunt
We were looking for fairies and the quiet was intense. The forest and trail was empty that day except for me and my two 3 year olds.
Occasionally it was interrupted by one of them shouting or running or singing, but when they were quiet there was stillness all around us.
Some projects have a clear start and a clear finish.
Other projects, like our Fairy project take turns and breaks and fade in and out of our days. Over the course of 6 months and from our small town in Wisconsin all the way to Mississippi when we moved this interest in fairies followed us.
At times we went for a week or more without a mention of fairies and then they would be back. Things would be flittering, fairies would be searched for and pretended about, and our days would fill with magic again.
However, if I go to the very beginning, our Fairy Project started with a book and a hunt.
Our Fairy Hunt itself was inspired by the book The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies.
It is a darling book that combines photos of children hunting around in the forest for fairies and soft drawings of fairies. I love how it brings to life the imagination of children and magic of fairies.
One of my kids found it on the shelves at our local library and put it in our bag. My twins also loved it and they wanted to head outside and hunt for fairies themselves. Game for most ideas, I said okay.
Before we headed outside, I asked where they thought we might find some fairies.
“In the grass!”
“Under the flowers!”
“In the forest!”
Then we went outside. We started with the grass and flowers in the backyard, but as soon as we could I took them on a hike in the forest to see if we just might spot a fairy.
Often on our walks we bring something with us. Cameras, bags for collecting, binoculars, paper, etc. However, I asked if they thought we needed to bring anything to look for fairies and after a moment of thought, my son said “you just need your eyes mom. Your eyes are for looking.” That established, we went for a walk just us.
They seemed to notice everything.
Any slight movement of leaves.
Small sounds.
They were certain there were fairies just a touch to fast for us to see.
What I loved most about this project as it continued to unfold were the magical undertones.
Fairies seem bring out that childlike wonder of wide eyes, hushed voices, and belief that is wonderful and contagious. We didn’t see any fairies in the forest that day, but that did not keep them from looking again the next.
(Here are some more great Children’s Books about Fairies to inspire your next adventure)
