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Correina MacRae is a mom of three whose labour of love is helping local families connect with the prairie fairies living among the beautiful trees of Kinsmen Park. When things begin warming up in Saskatoon in the spring through to the end of October, Correina guides children and their caregivers through one-hour story-filled excursions on various weekend days.
Regular tours are $10 per person. They also offer tour deals for groups and families.
In the colder months, Correina said the winter fairies are busy taking care of animals while the fall fairies sleep with the hibernating animals and the summer and spring fairies get to take holidays. "They each have their own season," she said.
Each of the doors has a unique design and story about the homes and the creatures that live inside. Correina's stories are filled with personality and great detail, as are the fairy homes themselves. She and her children, ages 10, 7 and 6, create decorations to share with the fairies.
"The fairies take the decorations we build and make it their own," she explained. "They are pretty self-sufficient, but they appreciate the help."
Each person on the tour is given a little drawstring pouch with bits and baubles they can leave behind as gifts for the fairies. My daughter really enjoyed picking out something personalized to give each fairy. For example, at the beach fairy house, she chose a seashell from her pouch, and I left behind a feather the fairy might use to sweep sand off of her front porch.
The tour moves along through a series of clues to locating the fairy doors among the trees. There's a stop at the fairy mailbox where kids can post letters to the fairies. There's also a special wishing tree before which each child gets a palm full of fairy dust in which to make a wish.
The kids on our tour ranged in ages from around 3 up to 7. Each were so captivated that they were whispering to one another as they crouched down beside each fairy home in awe and delight.
The tour is geared toward children 2 and up, but babies under 2 are free and the tour is stroller friendly. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult, however, this is an experience for a caregiver and child to have together. If you allow yourself to escape into the moment with your child, you'll surely be swept away into the magic together.
"Create the magic you want to see in the world: that's what I'm doing," Correina explains. "Our kids are only little for so long, and we don't get that back. We can believe as adults, but it isn't the same as a child's belief. To be little together, even for one more moment. That's why I do this.
"I help get families outside into nature and spending quality time together away from school, jobs, chores, bills, stress and phones," she said. "What's better than that?"
The tour ends with a special fairy story time and a few laments from those, like my daughter, who weren't quite ready for the tour to be over. Even as we left the trees and fairies behind, the magic, curiosity and connection to nature lingered on for us throughout the afternoon.
Anyone with an imagination would love this special adventure. You can just feel the love that is poured into each and every tiny detail of Fairy Door Tours Saskatoon. Our local fairies are very lucky to have Correina in their neighbourhood, and so are we.
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