Gnome Songs

I spent the naptime clearing the path of large sticks which the children would trip over. Then I was going to make some little fairy dwellings for the children to discover but then I thought I would have them make the houses and then leave gifts for the gnomies, who could then leave gifts for them in return. And that is what I did. After snack we sat on a fallen tree and read Gnome Songs by Rien Poortvliet (an adorable little board book, so sad that it's out of print), then I took them along the path where the fairies live and had them make houses out of bark pieces which we found on the ground -- NOT taking the bark off a living tree -- and they found acorns and such to take to the gnomes as gifts. Acorn caps make lovely cups. Tomorrow I think the children will discover new play capes -- one at each house. I haven't seen any ticks lately so I think it's OK for them to go scrounging around in the woods.

Rien Poortvliet was one of Holland's most popular artists and some of his books you can still find on Amazon, such as A Gnome's Christmas.