There has been great excitement over the past few days in the Montessori room in Crawford Childcare, Glanmire, Co. Cork as we prepare for a fairy visit!

We have done everything we can to ensure a pleasant stay. With the help of our Montessori “Super helpers” we found a nice quiet corner in our classroom to position our fairy door. Our talented “Cutters” and “Gluers” made a foam castle complete with fairy door. We even created our own fairy post box, where we can communicate with our new friend by leaving our letters, colourings and drawings.

Laura and the Montessori class sat down together to have a little chat about what we are to expect when our fairy friend comes:

“Fairies sleep in the day and only come out at night when they are sure that all the children in Crawford Childcare have gone home. That is why it is important for us to use our indoor voices when we are inside so as not to wake our new friend. If we press our ears against the fairy door we may be able to hear soft little squeals as the fairy snores!

We should never try to search for our fairy as every time a fairy is seen by a human they lose some of their magic. When fairies fly they leave behind a faint smell of strawberries, if we smell this then we know they are nearby. Fairies love to collect shiny things: Buttons, coins, paper clips and even teeth! That is why it is so important to brush our teeth and keep them shiny for when the “tooth” fairy will come, we may even get something nice in return. Did you that a fairy’s favourite things to eat are raisins and cheerios because they help them fly super fast and super high.

Fairies shed their wings twice a year, so we must keep an eye out around the classroom for tiny little “feather wings”. Sometimes fairies visit us when we sleep, sit on our pillows and blow our bad dreams away.”

After hearing all about our expected fairy friend the children thought it would be a good idea to decorate a welcome card for the fairy to place in her post box with some paper cuttings and paper fans for good measure.

All of us took a turn of holding the tiny fairy key to the fairy door. We put it carefully in the jar and left it by the fairy castle’s door. The teachers can’t wait to see the children’s faces when they see the fairy key is gone as this means the fairy has moved in! No doubt “Esmee” (Crawford Childcare’s very own fairy) will write a teeny tiny hand written thank you letter!