How to get kids on the forest hike?

Well, everyone wants to see wild animals, right? But how do you do it on the hot summer day? Moost of the animals save their energy for a coller moment to look for something to eat and sleep hidden in the bushes. Yet, two days ago my husband saw a young deer in the afternoon among the little trees, so it must be possible! Only he walked alone in silence. How to do it with 16 kids? So I asked kids what they think about it and they knew perfectly what is needed to spot wild animals: silence, patience, watching the traces, listening, camouflage... And we spoke our wish out to spot a deer or a squirell. But now the practice... So I let it go and went playing animals games with kids, camouflage games and looking for small animals in dead wood and on the oak. It was fun. But then I asked kids who wants to go on a long hike where the watchtower is? Half an hour walking. 5 kids decided to go back to school and 11 kids went along. And then... somewhere alongside the small path where the group had to walk one after another a 5 years old girl came to me whispering: "Iwona, I've just seen an animal'. At first I wasn't impressed but curious: 'And which coulour had this animal?

She said "I guess ... brown" "And how big was the animal?"- I asked curious again. Because it wasn't easy to tell I tried in gestures to figure it out and came enthousiastically to conclusion: "So, you have just seen a deer?!" The girl modestly nods and I follow her on the path a bit further on. There was a small group of kids with a staff member watching breathless and in upper concentration in one direction sitting on their knees. Luckily the picture was already made, because when I came by the deer was alreafy gone. We sat for 2 more minutes in silence hoping to see her again, but she was gone. Meanwhile the same girl walked aside and back on the path and from there she waves to us. I follow her again and there I see the deer finally among the trees! Until the deer hears us and disappears again. OMG, what a magic moment! Totally unexpected! Later on I realise that it was our wish to see a deer. We had sent the wish into the universe and then forgot about it. Wow, indeed, the magic can't be forced or directed, it happens to you, it takes you by surprise and this is what makes it so fun. The 5 years old girl continued to amaze me with her gift to spot animals as she knew to tell me where the fox hole with twe entrances was!