The weather has turned colder and the days are getting shorter. It’s time for the Autumn gnomes to appear on the Nature table with their lanterns. These cute little guys are very easy to make. This can be a satisfying first project for a child learning simple sewing (age five or six). All your daycare children will delight in hearing stories about these busy gnomes.
We tell a story about a gnome who is concerned about the coming darkness of winter. Brother wind suggests he make a safe house for a sunbeam spark. The gnome makes a lantern and then asks the sun for one of her last Autumn rays. The gnome is given a tiny spark of sunlight to keep safe in his lantern for the whole winter. He keeps this spark close to him and cares for it all winter. When Spring comes he releases the spark back to the sun so it can jump and play in the sky again.
May the light within you shine brightly all winter long.
Happy crafting!
Here is a general template you are welcome to use to create your own felt gnomes. Adjust the size to fit your own vision. Enjoy!
I’m a former elementary school teacher, and homeschool mother of two, who runs a Waldorf inspired home childcare/preschool. 
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[…] Making lanterns and then going on a lantern walk is a beautiful way to acknowledge the coming darkness in late Autumn. I tell the children a story about a gnome making a lantern to keep a spark of sunlight safe all winter long (see post “Easy Felt Gnome Tutorial“). […]