Gnome
In December gnomes and elves are everywhere, in windows, in stories and sometimes at the front door. The picture below shows a friendly gnome with a shovel and can prepare a child for a figure that can feel both exciting and a little scary.
Gnome with a shovel
A gnome with a red hat and white beard stands with a shovel next to a mushroom.
About this visual support
A gnome is a puzzling figure for a young child. It lives in books and on Christmas cards, it is said to live on the farm and keep an eye on whether everyone is kind, and in Nordic homes a costumed Christmas gnome may suddenly appear in the hallway with a beard and a mask. For some children the gnome is the best thing ever. For others it is unsettling not to know whether the gnome is real, what it wants and why it looks different from the one in the book.
The visual support shows a gnome with a red hat and white beard standing with a shovel next to a mushroom. Use the picture to talk about the gnome in advance, ideally several times during December. It also works as a marker in the schedule for gnome games, such as hunting for a hidden gnome around the house or leaving out porridge in the evening. If a dressed-up visitor is expected, show the picture and explain exactly what will happen: the doorbell rings, the gnome comes in, hands out presents and leaves again. The surprise then becomes an event with a beginning and an end.
In Routined the December gnome games can be added as activities with their own picture, and the app can be tried for 14 days at no cost.
Use this image in a schedule
Build your own visual schedule with this image and download it as a print-ready PDF. Completely free.
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In Routined you build schedules from these pictures, add timers and voice instructions, and your child follows the day on their own.
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