Arts in the Environment: Building Fairy Houses in the Forest
Arts in the Environment: Building Fairy Houses in the Forest
Welcome lovers of nature and the wee folk! Enjoy a magical weekend filled with storytelling, sparkling bubbles, whimsical fairies, fairy house building, and fun in the forest. Put on your wings, see nature as you’ve never seen it before, let your imagination run wild, and join us for this enchanted adventure. As our Park Superintendent (and fairy friend) Renee Raney says, “Nature joyously waits for you. She wants to feel your bare feet on grass and talk to you through the buzzing bees and peeping frogs. She hopes to watch you catch (and release) a firefly, to laugh with you as you splash in a mud puddle, to blow wind through your hair, and herald you with birdsong. Through wonder and imagination, you can discover that every moment in nature is a Once Upon A Time moment.” The Mountain Store will be selling special “fairy fun kits” and more! Bring your little fairies and elves to Vista Cliffside Restaurant for a child’s Fairy Meal with a special enchanted dessert (served to go for picnics or dine on the cliffside deck). Plan a campout: sleep under a canopy of trees, watch for evening fairies to ride across the sky on little brown bats, and listen for starlight fairy lullabies. Primitive Campers receive 25% off their stay (June 24-27, 2021).
Every moment spent in nature is a Once Upon a Time moment. Anyone can build a fairy house. The main tool needed is imagination. Pretend you are only about three inches tall (or the size of your pointy finger). Where would you want to live? The second tool is observation. The only rule is to use only natural found materials. Build it with love and the fairies will find it. -Renee S. Raney, Park Superintendent (and author of Hairy, Scary but Mostly Merry: Fairies! Curing Nature Deficiency through Folklore, Imagination, and Creative Activities)
This creative outdoor activity gives your child a better understanding of natural history and the connections between all living things. As you bend down close to the earth, you will see and hear things
that you never noticed before. Whether you are 3 or 103, building a fairy house will delight your inner pixie.
For more information about International Fairy Day or Fairy Tale Weekend, email Mandy.Pearson@dcnr.alabama.gov or call 256 412-9938. The programs are free with gate admission and to overnight guests. We are committed to providing programs that are educational, fun, and safe. Family units will be spaced out from other family units. We will provide hand sanitizer stations.
Date: June 26, 2021
Time: 2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Location: Interpretive Center at Lake Cheaha; Park day guest admission $5 per adult; $2 per child
