Every Autumn, our local Waldorf school,
Linden Waldorf, hosts a festive community celebration called the Elves' Faire. It is a joyous tumble of outdoor games, crafts, storytelling, music, food, puppet shows and wonder...all staffed by the parents of the school. This has been going on for 14 years here in Nashville...for some of those years we've had children enrolled in the school and at other times we haven't...either way, we wouldn't miss it for the world!
The school grounds and classrooms are used to house the different craft activities and games, etc...children's artwork and beautiful lazured walls are everywhere
Toucie and Daddy
rolled candles to bring home using sheets of beeswax ...there was also a room for candle dipping, but we will save that for another year when Toucie is older. With all that beeswax, this whole part of the building smelled like warm honey!
There were opportunities for folding beautiful window stars out of translucent kite paper...there are
several tutorials out
there for making these at home.
...making exotic fairy wands woven with fanciful threads and embellished with feathers....
...there was a wood-working room where you could build a wooden boat or a dancing
Limberjack...
Here is the one Toucie and Daddy made...I love him!
Outside, there were student performances by the different grade levels...these 5th graders, who are studying Ancient Civilizations as part of their curriculum this year, are performing a dance from India.
The 8th graders could be seen walking around on stilts all day long!
8th graders are also considered mature enough to help staff all the activities...here is one helping Toucie in the Face-Painting booth....so sweet! (I remember him in pre-school!!!)
There were unique and fabulous things to do like this...those kids are using
this elaborate wooden machine to twist colorful acrylic yarn into a jumprope...so cool.
Here's the "manly" one daddy made last year with black, grey, and green yarns.
The school operates a little store called The Linden Seeds Store where local folks can come to purchase Waldorf toys, art supplies, books, and handwork goods. They stock it to bursting for the Elves Faire...here you can see the merchandise spilling out onto the driveway outside the storefront. (Its open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 - 4pm if you are local!)
There are a lot of talented musicians and artists who are parents here...and they pitch in just like everyone else! These fellows provided some great background tunes for the festivities :)
This is Pockets, the elf. Many Waldorf schools celebrate the fall or winter with an Elves' Faire, and Pockets is a common feature at most of them. Dressed in huge overalls, with zillions of pockets stitched on (full of tiny wrapped treasures), Pockets strolls the grounds, passing out little treats to the children.
...some treasures from Pockets...
Jousting, Jacob's Ladder, archery, face painting, puppet shows, a storyteller, a beanbag toss, and probably some other things that we missed....so much to do and see, all on a beautiful autumn day!
I am so grateful for the continued relationship my family has with this school. Being a part of this community is a blessing. :)
