CHILDREN and their families spent hours exploring the wonders of the magical fairy-folk at High Woods Country Park.

For the awestruck children, the adventure began with a hunt for fairy facts.

Children searched in the Colchester woods for fairy pictures with a letter on the back, which when unscrambled spelt out a magic fairy word.

Next, the group walked to the big garden, gathering their own special fairy wishing stick along the way.

In the garden, everyone set about making their own fairy bowls and plates out of clay which they decorated with seeds and left out to dry in the sun before taking home.

A spokesman for Colchester Council added: “In the big garden, the children helped make pixie potion soup using fresh herbs and flowers, stirred with the fairy wishing stick they’d each found on their way to the garden.

“Everyone then played pixie and fairy parachute games, with a large sheet used to create a mini storm.

“From there, the children went on a walk to discover as many colours in nature as they could, to create a bright fairy palette using tiny pieces of petal and leaves – fairies simply adore colourful things.

“Finally, everyone made their way back to the start where they made a fairy chime from wool, feathers and wooden beads, which they could take home and hang in their gardens.”