SEARSPORT — Friends of Sears Island (FOSI) will be offering a free “Wee Forest Folk” family program on Wednesday, July 31, from 2 - 3:30 p.m., on Sears Island, led by FOSI’s Outreach Coordinator, Ashley Megquier. She will lead children on a scavenger hunt to find small gnome and fairy figurines, which they will then use to build fairy houses and gnome homes out of natural materials in the woods. There will be ample opportunity for kids to use their imaginations and explore nature as they create a tiny habitat for their figurine. Several gnome and fairy themed stories will also be shared during the program, and if time allows, children will be able to build small rafts for their gnome or fairy to see if they can float in the ocean.

Families attending this event will be given one of FOSI’s summer activity kits, with materials that can be used during the program. In addition to a small figurine, the kits will include a “field guide to gnomes and fairies” with inspiration for crafting their houses, plus materials and instructions to make a small floating raft and a fairy door. A handout with prompts for sketching and writing about their figure will also be included to inspire the imagining of a magical world for the wee forest folk.

This program and the activity kits are free and intended for children ages 5-12 with an accompanying adult. Donations to Friends of Sears Island are appreciated to allow the organization to continue to offer programming to all at no cost.

For more information and to register for the program and/or a summer activity kit, email outreach@friendsofsearsisland.org.

Preference for kits will be given to those that are attending the program, but some extras will be available for those that cannot join on July 31, which will be available for pick-up at Carver Memorial Library in Searsport from July 31-August 16.

Registration is complete upon receiving a confirmation email.

“Due to limited program space and activity kit availability, we cannot accommodate requests for multiple kits from summer school and camp groups, but are always happy to email digital versions of our handouts or activity sheets,” said FOSI, in a news release.

Friends of Sears Island’s children’s programs and activity kits are sponsored by First National Bank. To learn more about Friends of Sears Island check out www.friendsofsearsisland.org or facebook.com/friendsofsearsisland.