A Journey in Homeschooling

BARBARA HEDGEWITCH

Autumn 2000

As the year winds down and the days begin to grow shorter, I begin to reflect upon the past year. It's been an interesting one.

Raven celebrated her 5th birthday with a fairy party, complete with live unicorn and a goblin hunt. We had such fun doing this party, I invite you to take these ideas and adapt them for your own fey child.

We invited 5 of her friends to come. I crafted fairy wings for each child out of 18 gauge wire and sparkly tissue paper (and lots of tape). To these I added ribbons and a silk flower. We made fairy skirts out of 15" mylar fringe. These were simple, just measure each child, cut, and duct tape it on. I wrapped small dowels with green florist tape, glued a silk flower to the tip and attached more ribbons. Crowns were made of mylar wrapped wire, the kind with the little stars attached. They were finished off with silk flowers and ribbons as well.

When the guests arrived, we transformed them into flower fairies. They spent time twirling and dancing to music from The Nutcracker. All of a sudden the doorbell rang! There was nobody there, but there was a note attached to a cut-out picture of a fairy.

This was the beginning of a marvelous goblin chase all around our farm. I'm including the clues so that you can adapt this hunt for your own party. Each clue was printed out and attached to a small wooden skewer, topped with a fairy cut-out and left at various spots around the farm. Here are the clues:

• A wicked goblin was just here, and he snatched away the Fairy Queen's precious treasure! Please help me get it back. He knocked me down, and headed toward the swingset.
• I was playing with the kitties when a goblin passed by, carrying the Fairy Queen's treasure. He pulled their whiskers and ran toward the Maypole.
• Oh dear me! I was dancing around the Maypole when a smelly goblin ran past, carrying the Fairy Queen's treasure! He went towards the barn.
• Oh my goodness! I was chatting with the barn swallows when a grouchy goblin popped in here and tried to snatch their eggs. He didn't get any, and he ran away towards the white fence.
• I'm all aflutter! While I was painting the garden snake's pretty stripes, a rude goblin knocked over my paint pots! He was carrying the Fairy Queen's treasure. He ran towards the bushes at the front of the house. I think he's hiding in them.
• Oh, I'm so very glad you're here! You frightened off that naughty goblin, and he dropped my treasure right at my feet! Thank you for saving my treasure!As a reward for saving my treasure, you may each have one of my precious plants. Take it home, and tend it well, and when you look at it, remember the day you spent as one of my beautiful flower fairies. Love, The Fairy Queen.

The treasure was potted petunias, their pots wrapped in small birthday goodie bags. Each child was delighted with their flower 'treasure'. During the fairy feast of fairy cake and 'flower nectar' (punch), the girls could talk of nothing other than resuming the hunt for the greedy goblin!

The unicorn soon arrived and each fairy child had a chance to sit on her back and have her picture taken. The unicorn was a white horse belonging to our neighbors, who were thrilled to be a part of our fun. I carved a Styrofoam cone into a spiral and decorated it with spiraling ribbons and set it in a flower base, which they attached to her halter right between her ears. They braided her mane with ribbons and silk flowers, and she did, indeed look exactly like a white unicorn. They were quite a sight coming down our country road!

The fairy party was a wonderful success. I hope that you can use some of these ideas for your own special fairy child.