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By Mom Unplugged, March 8, 2007 8:50 pm

My children sit captivated by this innocent Swedish story of the adventures of two acorn brothers who fly off on an oak leaf and encounter angry gnomes and trolls, as well as playful chestnut children.

First published in 1939, it is a gentle tale which reminds me very much of The Story of the Root-Children (Sibylle Von Olfers) in its simplicity and language (please see my post on the “Root Children”). The wonderful illustrations are also similar in some ways to those of Sibylle Von Olfers.

This magical book makes everyone feel good!

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By Mom Unplugged, February 23, 2007 6:44 pm

Astrid Lindgren, the author of the well known Pippi Longstocking series, also wrote this lesser known set of books about a pack of children from three small farms in Sweden. If I had discovered this as a child, I would have LOVED it! I think all children love simple, “nice” stories about children having fun adventures.

I bought this for Christmas thinking that my first-grader might eventually enjoy it. One boring, snowy Sunday in January, my two oldest kids (4 and 6) and I sat on the sofa in front of the fire and I began reading. I planned on reading just one or two chapters, however they would not let me stop until we had read the entire book. They laughed and laughed, and were genuinely interested in the antics of the children. Even I found the book charming, witty, and engaging.

We have since bought the other title in the series, Happy Times in Noisy Village, and my daughter did a school book report on it.

I recommend The Children of Noisy Village to any intermediate-level reader, or any family looking for a “nice” book about simple childhood fun.

The Children of Noisy Village and Happy Times in Noisy Village are chapter books, however there are also two other short, picture-type books: Christmas in Noisy Village and Springtime in Noisy Village. We have the Christmas book which is a good, short bedtime-read. The Springtime book is harder to come by.

If anyone knows of any other books in this series, please comment. I would love to find more!

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By Mom Unplugged, February 12, 2007 2:06 pm

One day I will spring for one (or two) of these! If your children like

A playstand is a simple wooden structure which little imaginations can turn into just about anything. It is great for use with playsilks, a blanket, or even just on its own.

Playstands can be pricey but if you are handy, there are DIY plans available. Check out to buy plans ($17.99), or figure it out yourself (doesn’t look that hard).

In the meantime, a string tied to two chairs and some clothespins will have to do! Please also visit my post on playsilks.

Available here, or Google “wooden playstands.”

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By Mom Unplugged, February 11, 2007 12:33 pm

This delightful book has become a favorite for bedtime.

The nice story is of a little girl and her fairy encounter while on vacation. My 6 year-old girl, and even my 4 year-old boy, can’t seem to get enough of it!

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By Mom Unplugged, February 10, 2007 10:21 am

If you have ever wondered whether children can have fun with a toy that is not loud and hi-tech, then set down a basket of playsilks and turn your little ones loose!

A playsilk is a simple, colored silk scarf. Really any silk scarf will do, but children’s playsilks are readily available from Waldorf-type stores if you do not want your scarves messed up.

Things I have seen kids do with playsilks: dress-up, “wrap gifts,” make sister “disappear,” peek-a-boo, tent, stage curtains, doll blanket/carrier…etc., etc. You get the idea!

One of my favorite stores, A Toy Garden, has a great selection at reasonable prices. A Toy Garden also sells lower priced sets of three silks that have slight imperfections. I bought some of these and the defects were quite minor.

Please also visit my post on Wooden Playstands for another playsilk idea.