My kids love making fairy houses. Almost every time we go camping, they are very soon scoping out the best place to make one.
A wonderful gnarly old beech tree, perfect for fairy house making!
Sometimes they use some firewood, sometimes they collect sticks, it might be up a tree, against a log or under a tree. It always fully engages their imagination, and although my eldest has voiced some doubts about Father Christmas recently she never doubts that the fairies will come to visit her fairy house over night.
A small selection if the houses they have made!
Aren’t they lovely. The one with a tea light in twinked away so beautifully as the sun set. A fellow camper gave the girls the tea light, I must remember to pop a few in the van. The fairy house theme also extends into general exploring, especially when out for a walk in a wood!
Could this be a woodland fairy’s house?
Finally, a very important tip, especially if you are on a campsite with campfires. That beautiful fairy house can look a lot like a pile of fire wood to the unpractised eye. After one devastating occasion when the fairy house was plundered as fuel we now make a little sign saying ‘This is a Fairy House’!
YellowFields 
Oh no, re the firewood mistake. Perhaps they were fire fairies?
Good thinking!
Aw, they are really lovely. I’m not sure if I could convince my 6 year old boy to have a go though, I might have to brand it a little differently…..Jedi House?!
Imp house, elf house, pixie house. Or just minature den. Can’t be too hard to persuade boys to make stuff with sticks!
I used to make ‘wicker’ versions. A dozen willowy branches stuck vertically into the ground in a circle and then bent over and tied together at the top. Smaller branches woven around these horizontally.
For the ultimate level of appeal to boys, construct in a location where they can safely be burned down later on.
Like that a lot. Another penknife and string activity me-thinks.
Great ideas, will definately give that a go when we are next out walking in the woods.
Ahh – gorgeous. Such a shame about the fire wood confusion – I can so imagine the heartache!
How lovely my father always helped me to make fairy houses and in the morning we would find a gift from the fairies usually sweets. Brings back special memories and reminds me that my 4 year old is the perfect age to be doing this too. Thanks for the idea
Yes, my mother started a traditon of leaving a few pennies in the house, as payment from the fairies. We don’t always do i it though, so there is still an element of suspense!
Is that where that came from? I have a habit leaving coins behind in rented houses/holiday homes etc. Not really deliberately, I just always fail to pick up all the change on the table when I leave. I’ve often vaguely wondered where I got the idea.
Jamie, Are you suggesting you are in fact a fairy?
What a lovely idea, guess what we are doing tomorrow after school! if it doesn’t rain
What a lovely idea! I am in the middle of planning our camping trips next year and have been trying to find ways of keeping the kids occupied and this looks like a fantastic idea that will keep the kids occupied for a while! Many thanks!
Wow, already planning next years trips – I am impressed! Fairy houses (or Dragons Lairs or Elves castles) are brilliant. My kids make one at almost every campsite we visit and they vary greatly depending what is available to make them with. Thanks for the comment!