backyard fairy homes
With former High Trails instructor Janie Cole
Hello everyone! My name is Janie Cole and I was a High Trails staff member for a variety of fall and spring seasons between 2013-2016. I loved being a staff member for High Trails Outdoor Education Center and one of my favorite times of the week was Recreation Time. If you haven’t been a student at High Trails yet, this is a time when kids get to pick a special activity that is just for fun. There are always a lot of choices, whether it’s a hike, arts activity, marshmallow baseball or building fairy houses! As a staff member, my favorite activity to lead was building fairy houses because it is such a perfect combination of creativity and activity.
Whenever I led Fairy House Building, I always made sure to set the stage for kids and I will do that here for you too. Fairies are magical creatures that live all around us. We may be lucky enough to lay eyes on one someday but even if we can’t see them, they are out there… and they need houses! Fairies live in all different types of environments like the woods, jungles and even in your neighborhood. It is important for us to build houses for them to show our gratitude for the joy they bring to the world and to make sure they have a cozy place to sleep as they travel around.
After setting the stage, I gave children a big parameter to explore and build. Some general steps to building fairy houses are to:
Gather supplies.
Build your creation!
Some kids would work as a large group and build a larger house (sometimes fairy houses turn into Gnome houses and that is great too). Other times kids would hunker down and work all by themselves or with one other friend, building intricate creations down to the finest details. Every time, I was always inspired by the students’ creativity and overjoyed to witness the freedom and ownership that kids embrace when they are empowered to create on their own terms.
Nowadays, I live in North Carolina and work as a social worker but when I get the chance, I still like to build a fairy house just in case a fairy is in need of a place to crash for the night. This is something that can be done in absolutely every setting and you don’t need any fancy materials to do it! If you haven’t gone to High Trails yet or wish you could have a little bit of High Trails with you at home, here are some tips of the trade that I learned from my students at High Trails.
An exemplary fairy home made with materials found in North Carolina. What materials can you find in your yard to build your own?
1. Let the kids lead.
As an adult it can be truly soul filling to witness play in its most natural state. I suggest starting out with a general description of fairies and safety expectations and then let your kiddo know the rest is up to them (every fairy house is perfect). They might need some guidance to jumpstart their imagination but once it starts rolling don’t hold it back. Some kids may want you to build with them and others may prefer you build alongside them. Ask which they would prefer and let them give you the directions for a change.
2. Ask open ended questions.
Sometimes, when a child is using their imagination something that may look like a table might really be a swimming pool! Never assume you can tell what is being built just by the shapes or structures being created. Some of my favorite open-ended questions or directives are:
Tell me about your fairy house!
What’s that?!
What made you decide to use (whatever material you are curious about)?
What types of activities are the fairies going to get to do here?
3. Leave your phone at home.
Phones and social media take a backseat at High Trails and this lets kids’ brains take a break from all that comes with that. Before leaving your house, ask yourself (yes you… the adult!) do I really need to take my phone with me? Doing a new activity and being present with your kiddo may make you see them in a new way, they might have a skill you haven’t noticed or shock you with an innovative idea. Through building a creation you can create and connect in new ways together.
Have fun building!
Posted 6/1/20, Janie Cole
Janie Cole was a High Trails instructor for many seasons beginning in 2013, as well as a counselor and Program Director at Sanborn Western Camps. She now lives in Carrboro, North Carolina, where she works as a social worker and bakes incredible pastries and breads.