Holding Your Own Fairy Houses Event - It’s easier than you might think!

History

Families have been building fairy houses on islands off the coast of Maine for decades. The Fairy Houses Series® of picture books and video introduce this enchanting theme and activity, inspiring all generations.

Event types include: Schools, Libraries, Retail Stores, Nature Centers, Retirement Communities, Birthday Parties, Girl Scouts, etc..

Fund-Raiser?

If your event is a fund-raiser, then consider reselling books from The Fairy Houses Series® that are personally signed by Tracy Kane. We can provide discounted, returnable products for your event. Plus, larger events can be listed on our Events page to help bring more attendees. It’s a win-win for all! Contact Mark Forman.

Preparation for the Event

Announce you are having “A Day of Enchantment,”and will be creating a “Fairy Houses Village” on the grounds or a nearby suitable location.

When signing up families for this event, it’s great to involve parents and grandparents, when possible. Plus they are very willing and helpful!

Encourage everyone to bring a grocery bag or basket of natural materials to build with. These materials could include various sized branches, bark, dry grasses, stones, pine cones, shells, acorns, feathers, cut lawn grass, etc. With a group of 30 or more children - it’s advisable to have extra materials; a 40 gallon container (standard trash barrel size) of branches for the basic structure, and some hay provides lovely thatched roofs and soft floors. In the autumn there is a wealth of dried materials - milkweed pods, colorful leaves, nuts, dried flowers. Remember, the two critical rules for building materials is to use only natural materials and not to harm anything that is still living, (although garden trimmings from home are great to recycle!)

At the Event

Read the book Fairy Houses and/or show the video, Kristen’s Fairy House to your group. Schools should show the video a couple of days before to inspire kids to collect building materials ahead of time.

Ask children if they know what the word “artificial” means and help them distinguish it from “natural.”. Show them the photos of children with their fairy houses (see download link at the bottom of page.) - people love to see the real fairy houses.

Discuss the different approaches to building and the way the materials are used. Before going outside, encourage the kids to partner and share their building materials when creating their houses.

Site Location

Keep safety in mind when choosing a spot. A quiet area with bushes and trees is a perfect building spot. A small courtyard with plantings or along a pathway is fine too. Fairy houses can be built up against building foundations, in planters or window boxes. Ask children to first pick a spot for their house, then invite them to share the extra materials (which you have provided and placed there ahead of time.)

Helpful Hints

It’s helpful to build your first fairy house against a tree trunk, bush, rocks or wall. A triangle or tee pee shape is also an easier shape to construct a fairy house for first time builders. Suggest the children make a path leading to the front door to guide the fairies into the house. (The most rustic construction looks like a home when a walkway is added.)

Acorn caps and small shells make nice fairy dishes; dried milkweed pods with their fluffy seeds make lovely soft fairy beds. A large shell can be filled with water for a fairy bathtub. When the houses are nearly complete it’s time to leave some food for the fairies. I carry around a small pack with extra shells, some feathers, a bottle of water and some mixed seeds in a jar. The food is usually a mixture that can include birdseed, red lentils and dried split peas, barley and sometimes cornmeal. About a teaspoonful in a shell or in acorn caps is perfect!

Finish

It’s time tour the Fairy Village and let the children see each others habitats. This is also an opportunity for each child to say a few words about their creations. Schools can follow this event up with having the children write about their fairy houses and who might visit it, and/or draw pictures about it.

If this is a Birthday Party or Store event - invite the children to dress as fairies, butterflies or dragonflies. You can also serve fairy tea cakes and juice after the activity. And don’t forget your camera - there are sure to be many precious pictures to capture. Please remember to send us some to show on our website!