The chores children performed included carrying wood, husking corn, gathering berries, leading oxen, carding wool, gathering
eggs and churning butter.  This work was often turned into play as children snag and skipped along while performing their duties.

When the children did have time to play, they enjoyed the same games that their parents and grandparents had played when they were young. And so it was, passed along from generation to generation. Technology may be speeding up, but I do not believe that we humans evolve as fast as the technology around us.

These wonderful little boats are a family activity that will connect you with your child and allow the space to slow down in a normally fast paced world.

You will need

Walnuts (how many boats do you wish to make?)
A large knife & board to open
Candle (we like beeswax)
A tooth pick or a small stick or twig
Paper, cloth or leaves
Water for sailing away

Use the knife to split the walnut carefully and remember to take the nut out. What you want is a perfectly shaped half.

Cut a small shape out of the paper or cloth to create a sail.

Your sail can be a rectangle or a triangle – get creative. It may be good to make several to try different shapes to see which sail best. Natural leaves make beautiful little boats but if you are using paper, you can also color or paint your sails.

Now, light the candle and drip some wax into the walnut. If you have candles left over from holidays or birthdays,  perfect. You are also recycling and making the most use of things (which is a very valuable lesson for children, especially these days).

Beeswax is really best for this, but any candle wax works.

Just remember to only place a small amount into the nut shell. Adding too  much wax will weigh them down and they may sink – we do not want that!

Thread the cocktail stick or matchstick through the top and bottom of the paper sail to form a mast.

Then insert into the wax before it cools.

You will have to hold it there for a moment. Yes, I know tape makes this easy, but I like to make the child hold it and wait, perhaps blowing gently while inhaling the sweet beeswax aroma. I have found small moments like these teach patience and reverence without any lecturing as it is all in the experience. Remember that it is the journey which is often more important than the destination.

When all cooled that the mast stands on it’s own, they are ready to set sail.

This is a great little toy, which amused all three of my children for hours and hours. They love to put them into puddles, so no stream or creek is necessary (though to see them go downstream and send them off with wishes is fun too!) If you do not have a puddle, then a large bowl, barrel, pail or even the bathtub works just as well.

Walnut boats are the perfect example of allowing a child the empowerment to make his or her own toy, use the imagination and natural materials that are fairy easy to gather and be deeply involved in play that soothes the soul and senses, from the beeswax, to enjoying the nuts, to having to carefully pierce their sails onto the masts, these little treasures inspire all sorts of wonderful imaginative play.

It is also magical how such simple things can become favorite and cherished toys. My children still have their small basket of their small acorn and walnut boats (the ones that were not sent away with wishes).

Here are some wonderful books to inspire toy making and play things from a simpler time…

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Once there was a little hobgoblin who lived deep in the woods, in a little rocky dell. He was a very naughty little hobgoblin, for his favorite pastime was to play tricks on the farmers, and on the farmer’s children, and on the townspeople, and on the townspeople’s children.

When night came and it was dark outside, the little hobgoblin would peer out of

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What is the Enki perspective or ethic that we are working with?

There are two major aspects which manifest slightly differently in different types of materials. First of all, underlying all else is the belief that all human beings, by birthright, have within them an unconditional vitality, wisdom and compassion. We could call this a fundamental innocence. While it may be more or less challenged and obscured in the course of each life, it is our birthright, neither earned nor lost and always there for the uncovering. Along with the content and language of the stories, we bring this experience forth by offering stories from all over the world.

Second, connecting with this birthright or natural innocence requires the integration of body, heart, and mind which, in turn, depends on meeting the child where he is and mirroring back to him the value of his inner longings and issues. These inner issues and longings result from a developmental sequence that has not only been seen by professional child observers and teachers, but is readily visible to all.

From the Enki perspective, ONLY THOSE STORIES AND ACTIVITIES WHICH MIRROR THE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE OF THE CHILD CAN BRING ABOUT AN INTEGRATION OF BODY, HEART, AND MIND, and in turn, connect him with his natural gifts.

Therefore, however “true” or wonderful a story may be, for us it is only a “true tale” if it is in harmony with the child’s development and thus brings integration. No story is a “true tale” in and of itself.

We have found stories for the kindergartner which address both these issues are not easy to find. We have researched hundreds of books covering thousands of stories, and have long pondered the reason for this. It will take the perspective of time and an in depth anthropological study to really understand, but it is our hypothesis that the difficulty in finding appropriate material for the kindergartner stems from the changing world we live in. 4 and 5 year olds today face very different challenges than they did generations ago. They are being pushed much too fast and are not fully developing the ground they need to grow with confidence. Today¹s kindergartner lives, either personally or by way of peers, in a world of broken homes and fractured communities. He is bombarded with information and mature imagery on a daily basis. TV presents a series of role models who are praised for their ability to outsmart or put down others. We wind up with an explosion of ADD, cynicism, and withdrawn, anti-social behaviors. For this reason, we feel many of the traditional tales that once gave the child an excellent balance of independence and security, are no longer appropriate. Today he needs challenge within security in a way he has not in the past.

Kindergartners need to know that home is dependable. This knowledge must be in place for them to safely and successfully journey out from home and grow and change. Therefore, all the kindergarten stories involve facing a challenge and returning home, unchanged and safe. In some of our stories this process is straightforward; in others it comes forth as delight in the natural cycles that make up our ecosystem.

Part of the kindergartners’ safety is in knowing that life is dependable and has an order that they can take hold of and work with. This is met in our materials through simplicity and repetition. Repetition happens first in the unfolding of the story. Each story has within it a basic three-fold cycle so the child knows what to expect and can anticipate outcomes. As well, each story has a repeating verse that captures some central aspect of the story.

Together these allow the child to feel he is master of the story world. Our experience has shown that, while children have always needed repetition, in today¹s busy and chaotic world, the element of simple repetition has proven even more important. For this reason some of our stories have been made even more simple and repetitive than the original versions.

Third, the kindergartner, like the younger child, finds his health in the wholeness of the world, and not in his individuality. Individuality requires a standing back and separating, a self-consciousness. While the kindergartner has begun to exercise this muscle, at this juncture he needs reassurance that he can just melt into the world and find its natural harmony and nourishment. Therefore, all the stories create a world which the child is free to enter and take from, but none of them have an interactive or reflective aspect. In telling the stories, we create a world and each child is free to take it in as fits his needs.

All our stories, verses, and projects are chosen and adapted, or written, to address all of these issues and thus nourish the kindergartner of today.

THE ENKI KINDERGARTEN RESOURCE BOOK IS COMPLETE AND AVAILABLE NOW!

From around the world and through the seasons come over 100 circle activities, 80 stories, and 60 projects, all created, or chosen and adapted, specifically for the 4-6 year old. Song tape included. Also included is in depth guidance on when, why, and how to use these materials, to help teachers and parents offer a rich and focused experience, without expending undue time and effort in preparation.

First Time Buyers: full price is $200 plus shipping (please ask the post office for rates on shipping 7 pounds, from zip 03242 to you) for the Kindergarten Resource Book. Or buy the Teachers’ Guides at $200 plus shipping, full description on the web at www.enkieducation.org.

Enki Teachers’ Guide Owners

If you already own the Teachers’ Guide, the Resource book is $125 plus shipping. Send your check and order to:

Enki Education, Inc.
29 Old W. Hopkinton Rd
Henniker, NH 03242

Don’t forget to order our 30 minute video with footage inside classrooms using the Enki approach! Just $20 and no shipping fees if ordered with a book.

Further Study

• Holistic Education: Enki At A Glance
• What Is Enki Education
• Why are you called Enki
• What is so special about an Enki Education
• When and how did this approach begin
• How does Enki meet the Special Needs Child
• What can I expect of the teachers in an Enki Program
• How early do you begin teaching a foreign language
• How does Enki nurture the child with Special Needs
• How do graduates of the Enki program fare
• What are teachers and parents saying about the Enki Program

Well! Imagine our surprise when we received such fancy letters on colorful paper so soft to the touch, and so obviously made with great care!

We’ve come to believe that Fairyland has been so busy making paper so Appletta can write all of her letters – and the young Fairies all want to learn the craft of writing letters now too! My son, Zachary, read the letters himself a few times and remarked, “Appletta writes a lot like I do! I write like a Fairy artist!”

Our life has always been alive with Fairy folk. We invite them to our life by creating special little areas – in the pots of our houseplants, the corners of shelves, etc. . . . We occasionally check to see if they have come to take the surprise, or if they have moved into the little homes we’ve made. We are often happy to see a bit of Fairy dust left behind and perhaps a little gift. The Fairies seem to be interested in what happens with our feelings – when we are sick or sad. They do nice things for us . . . in the morning, things are organized and put away, special “lost” or misplaced favorite toys or books re-appear …nice things!

In the past we have received Fairy notes, just a few words in tiny little scrolls tucked here and there. But now to get such a full letter from Appletta . . . very exciting!

Appletta’s letters have appeared under the covers of the bed. The children were excited . . .this was a new experience altogether. The children were excited and I found myself anxiously awaiting what would be written next! I think I enjoy the story letters as much as my wee ones!

Now go out and contact Appletta and whisper to her to send some fairy fun and magic to your house!

Click Here to Learn More About Rosenberry Books & Letters from Appletta

I’m going to pass along this question to my good friend Diane at Rosenberry Books…

THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKE-BELIEVE

“Believing is important. You don’t have to believe in Fairies.
But when you believe – whatever you believe in – you help that be true.”

So says our Fairy friend Appletta, who through
Rosenberry books, etc., writes story-letters to children.

There is a common understanding that believing is important. But what about make-believe?

Make-believe is commonly belittled: “Oh, that’s only make-believe.”

What is the difference between belief and make-believe?

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