The elves were in your reading corner

The elves were in your reading corner

Sometimes, a little magic can encourage children to discover a space or items they aren't naturally attracted to or help them see them in a different light.

Here are a few simple ideas that will help you convince children that Santa's elves visited your reading corner while they weren't at daycare. Use them to pique their curiosity and add a touch of magic to your reading corner before Christmas.

• Purchase (or make your own) elf hats. Deposit them throughout your reading corner and fill them with Christmas books. Children will love exploring the contents of the hats. Let them wear the hats when they are exploring books in your reading corner.
  
  
• Purchase long striped chenille socks (for adults or older children so they will be easy to slide over children's legs and clothing). Tell children that the elves forgot their socks in your reading corner. Let children wear the long socks over their pants when they are in your reading corner. They will enjoy these cozy accessories.
  
  
• Deposit tiny bells among the books, on armchairs, and on your bookshelves in your reading corner. Children will love finding these little elf accessories. Let them formulate hypotheses to explain why and how the tiny bells got left behind. Did they fall off of the elves' costumes? Give each child a piece of Christmas ribbon he/she can thread through one or more bells and then stick on a piece of heavy cardboard to create a unique elf-themed bookmark. These special bookmarks can be taken home at the end of the day as a souvenir of the time Santa's elves visited your reading corner.
  
  
• Depending on the ages of the children in your group, leave a small bowl filled with candy canes or another type of Christmas candy on a table in your reading corner. Allow children to take one when they visit your reading corner. Just make sure they are sitting down with a good book when they eat it.
  
  
• The elves can also play tricks on the children in your group. For example, they can make a mess and take all your books off your bookshelves and displays and leave them in a pile on the floor. Ask children to help you sort the books and put them back in the right place. This task may provide children with the opportunity to notice the books that are available.
  
  
• Every day, add a new decorative item related to Santa's elves in your reading corner: a poster, a figurine, a new book, a cushion, etc. Children will quickly understand that there is a new addition every morning and eagerly visit your reading corner to discover what the elves left for them.

Patricia-Ann Morrison