Looking for fairies is a favorite outside activity of both boys and girls. Who wouldn’t love discovering the imaginary world hiding in the real one? Once kids are dressed for the weather, they only need to tuck imagination into their pockets and they can head out to look for fairies, elves, and other creatures.
Is there a woodland or other natural area in your community? There are fairies and imaginary beings in urban spaces too but fairies often hide in nature. They use the leaves, flower, rocks, berries, twigs, shells, and other treasures for their clothes, food, and houses. That’s why they are so hard to find. They are camouflaged.
Fairies aren’t the only magical part when kids are out in nature. There is the magic in the connection we have to nature itself. According to the writers at Greenheart Education:
Helping children to make friends with Nature is something we must do when they are young, in order to give them a lasting sense of comfort in and connection to the natural world, and a deep understanding of their place within it. Given that we now have a generation of young people who did not grow up playing outdoors, who did not make friends with Nature on their own, it is our responsibility as teachers and parents to introduce children to their friends in Nature. In a sense, we have to make “playdates” for them with their plant and animal neighbours — and encourage them to get dirty!
A connection to nature lasts us for a lifetime, but it’s not something that happens naturally, especially for children who get little time outdoors. Rather, it’s something that grows like any other relationship. Can your child experience the magic of nature by looking for fairies and imaginary beings or by another outdoor activity today? Who knows, you might find more than you were looking for!
Check out the resources page on 123kindergarten. You might find more than you were looking for here too.