How to Write a New Adventure for Hariët and Finnigan

What might happen if Hariët the Hedgehog and Finnigan the Fox discovered a tiny door beneath an old oak tree? What if a mysterious map arrived on a windy morning, or a woodland friend needed help finding the way home?

Children often have wonderful ideas about what their favourite characters should do next. Writing a new adventure gives those ideas somewhere to grow. It invites children to imagine, plan, tell, draw and write while spending more time with familiar characters they already care about.

This guide shows families how to create an original Hariët and Finnigan adventure step by step. It works for independent writers, children who prefer to dictate, and younger storytellers who communicate through pictures, play or conversation. The goal is not perfect spelling or polished prose. It is the joy of making a story that belongs to the child.

Why familiar characters make writing easier

A blank page can feel enormous. Familiar characters reduce the pressure because the storyteller does not have to invent everything from the beginning. Hariët and Finnigan already provide two woodland friends with their own qualities, relationship and world.

Children can focus on the new part of the story:

• Where will the friends go?
• What will they discover?
• What problem will they face?
• Who will they meet?
• How will they help one another?
• What will be different by the end?

Working with familiar characters also builds perspective-taking. A child must consider what Hariët or Finnigan might notice, feel, say or choose.

Return to the original stories

Before inventing a new adventure, reread a favourite Hariët and Finnigan story. Enjoy it first without turning it into a lesson. Afterwards, talk casually about what makes the characters memorable.

Begin with Hariët the Hedgehog and Finnigan the Fox: Book 1, then explore Book 2: Hariët and Finnigan’s Swamp Adventure and Book 3: The Woodland Secret.

Ask what your child likes about each friend, how they are different, when they work well together and what sort of new adventure would suit them.

Choose how to create the story

Writing is only one way to compose. Children can tell the story while an adult writes, draw a picture sequence, use puppets or story stones, create a comic strip, type on a device, write by hand, or combine pictures and short captions.

Choose the format that allows ideas to shine. A child who is still learning letter formation may already be an inventive storyteller.

Six building blocks of a woodland adventure

1. Characters

Hariët and Finnigan can remain the stars, but add someone new: a shy owl, a hurried squirrel, a lost beetle or a visitor no one has seen before. Give the new character one memorable quality. Perhaps the owl knows every path but fears the dark, or the squirrel collects unusual buttons.

2. Setting

Choose a place that creates possibilities: a moonlit clearing, mossy bridge, secret garden, hollow tree, misty hill, swollen stream, underground tunnel or field of glowing flowers.

Add sensory detail. Is the ground crunchy or soft? Does the air smell like rain? What can the friends hear beyond the trees?

3. Story starter

An ordinary day becomes an adventure when something changes. Try one of these openings:

• Hariët found a tiny parcel outside her door.
• Finnigan heard three knocks from inside a hollow log.
• A trail of silver feathers crossed the woodland.
• The stream suddenly stopped flowing.
• A rabbit arrived carrying half of a map.
• The moon did not rise at bedtime.
• Every acorn vanished overnight.
• A door appeared in a tree where no door had been before.

4. Problem

The friends might help someone find the way home, repair something before a celebration, cross a stream, decode a message, return a lost object, investigate mysterious footprints or solve a misunderstanding.

The challenge can be gentle. Younger children do not need danger for a story to feel exciting.

5. Attempts

Let the first idea fail or reveal only one clue. Hariët and Finnigan can try two or three approaches before they combine their strengths. Ask, “What could go wrong?” and “What could they learn from that?” Mistakes help move a plot forward.

6. Ending

A satisfying ending resolves the main problem and shows how the characters feel afterwards. The friends might return home with a new memory, welcome a new friend, join a woodland celebration or keep one small mystery for another day.

Plan a beginning, middle and ending

Fold a sheet of paper into three sections. In the beginning, introduce the place and the event that starts the adventure. In the middle, let the characters face obstacles and discover clues. In the ending, solve the problem and show what happens afterwards.

A child can draw one picture in each section before adding words. Older children can use short planning notes. The plan is a guide, not a cage. Better ideas are welcome whenever they arrive.

Example story plan

Title: Hariët and Finnigan and the Lantern in the Mist

Beginning: A thick mist covers the woodland on the morning of the moonlight picnic. Hariët finds a glowing lantern beside her gate, but nobody knows who left it.

Middle: The friends follow tiny footprints. The path beside the stream leads them in a circle, but an owl hears a bell in the distance. They realise the lantern shines brighter when they move toward the sound.

Ending: They find a young deer who became lost while carrying picnic decorations. The lantern guides everyone home, and the deer joins the celebration.

Keep the characters recognisable

Ask your child to complete these sentences: Hariët usually notices...; Hariët feels brave when...; Finnigan becomes curious about...; Finnigan would probably say...; the friends disagree when...; and they help each other by...

The child’s version does not need to copy the books perfectly. The purpose is to think about character while keeping imaginative ownership.

Add lively dialogue

Encourage children to say a line aloud before writing it. Instead of “Finnigan was excited,” try: “A secret path!” Finnigan whispered. “Do you think it leads beneath the hill?”

Hariët might reply: “Perhaps, but let’s find out who made those muddy footprints first.”

Short exchanges reveal personality. Perfect punctuation can wait until the story exists.

Bring the woodland to life with the senses

• Sight: pale mushrooms glowed beneath the ferns.
• Sound: rain tapped softly on the leaves.
• Smell: the path smelled of wet earth and pine.
• Touch: the stone felt cool and smooth.
• Taste: the berry tart made Finnigan’s nose wrinkle.

One or two specific details in a scene are more powerful than a long list of adjectives.

Ten prompts for new adventures

1. The Missing Morning Song: The birds wake up but cannot remember their songs.
2. The Map Beneath the Moss: Hariët finds a map that changes whenever it rains.
3. The Clockwork Acorn: A metal acorn ticks and points toward the hills.
4. The Bridge of Fireflies: The usual bridge disappears.
5. The Smallest Guest: A tiny visitor arrives for a feast, but no chair fits.
6. The Whispering Well: A forgotten well repeats the last word anyone says.
7. The Great Woodland Wind: A strong wind scatters everyone’s belongings.
8. The Door That Opens at Dawn: The friends have minutes to explore beyond it.
9. The Moonflower Promise: A rare flower blooms only if the clearing stays quiet.
10. The Day the Shadows Wandered Off: Every woodland shadow disappears.

Turn planning into play

Children often discover ideas while their hands are busy. Use toys, puppets, blocks or story stones before writing. Woodland Story Stones: A Simple Creative Activity for Young Children explains how to make prompts for characters, settings and events.

You can also perform the new adventure using ideas from DIY Puppet Show: Bring Hariët and Finnigan to Life at Home.

Support without taking over

Adults can write dictated words, help with requested spellings and ask gentle questions, but the child should remain the story’s owner.

• Tell me more about that.
• What does the character want?
• What could make the problem harder?
• How could the friends work together?
• What would the character say?
• Is there one more surprise before the ending?

Respond with specific encouragement: “I could picture the glowing mushrooms,” or “That was a surprising solution.”

Spelling, grammar and first drafts

Ideas come first. Correcting every mistake while a child writes can interrupt creative flow. If the story will be shared, edit later and choose only a few useful improvements. Preserve the child’s voice.

Make a homemade book

1. Divide the story into pages or scenes.
2. Fold paper or staple sheets with adult help.
3. Add a cover with the title and author.
4. Illustrate each scene.
5. Add page numbers and an About the Author note.
6. Read the finished story aloud.

For art inspiration, use the Hariët and Finnigan colouring book or a free character colouring page.

For children who avoid handwriting

Try voice recording, speech-to-text, adult scribing, comic panels or collaborative storytelling. Reluctance to handwrite does not mean a child lacks imagination. Keep the method accessible and the outcome meaningful.

A five-day writing plan

• Day 1: Reread a favourite story and collect ideas.
• Day 2: Choose the setting, new character and problem.
• Day 3: Tell, draw or write the beginning and middle.
• Day 4: Finish the ending and illustrations.
• Day 5: Make the cover, read aloud and celebrate.

Frequently asked questions

What age is this activity for?

It can be adapted from preschool through primary school. Younger children can dictate, draw or act; older children can plan and write independently.

Must my child read every Hariët and Finnigan book first?

No. One familiar story is enough. More books simply provide extra inspiration.

Is it okay to use existing characters?

Yes for personal, educational and family creative play. Do not commercially publish or sell a derivative story using protected characters or artwork without permission.

What if my child changes the characters?

That is part of imaginative play. Ask what inspired the change, but do not insist on perfect accuracy.

How long should the story be?

As long as the child can sustain it with enjoyment. Three illustrated sentences can be complete; older children may create pages or chapters.

What if there is no clear ending?

Ask what changed, whether the problem was solved and how everyone feels now. The child can add a final scene or end with a mystery.

Should I correct spelling?

Usually not during the first draft. Let ideas flow and offer limited editing help afterwards.

What if my child gets stuck?

Offer two choices, add a random object, return to the character’s goal or take a short movement break.

Can my child tell rather than write the story?

Absolutely. Oral storytelling builds narrative skills. Record it or write down the child’s words.

How can we keep it from feeling like schoolwork?

Let the child choose the format, avoid grades and excessive correction, keep sessions short and include play.

What if the story copies part of the original?

Imitation is a normal way to learn. Ask what new character, event or choice the child could add.

How can we celebrate?

Hold a family reading, display the cover or place the finished book in the reading corner. Celebrate creativity and persistence.

Every adventure begins with one idea

A child does not need perfect handwriting or a complicated plot to become a storyteller. They need an idea, an inviting way to express it and an adult willing to listen.

By beginning with familiar friends like Hariët and Finnigan, children can step confidently into story creation. A mysterious feather, rainy path or knock inside a hollow tree may be all it takes to open the door to a brand-new woodland adventure.

Discover more family reading activities and creative prompts on the Woodland Wonder Tales blog.