Sneak Peek at the Toad House

Many of my young friends have been curious about the goings on at Toad House. This Saturday, we would like to invite all friends, young and old to come and sneak a peek at what the toads have been up to. We will have music all day beginning with quieter indoor music and ending the day with music on the west porch. Please look for the article in this week’s paper about the Sneak Peek. It lists music schedule.

Musically, children will have an opportunity to listen to harp, guitar, and cello in the morning and maybe even hear a tune on a tuba! Our goal is to share a wide range of styles of music in this Toad House musical adventure.

Our first exhibit in the art gallery is the set of 30 original watercolors by Janelle Thompson from the picture book, TOADS. It is the first time this work is being offered for sale. This exhibit hung in our state capitol and in the Wisconsin Arts Board Gallery. It is a thrill to see the original artwork and match the originals to the pictures in the book. Both picture books will be for sale along with the musical toads. Please take time to enjoy the art and to have a art lesson on drawing a toad.

For my Young@Art friends, I will have a table set up to finger paint toads. Creative art activities for young children are valuable for the developing brain. Children learn problem solving, develop an aesthetic sense, and learn to value their own work. If we give children the opportunities to try many different was of doing things, they will learn a great deal on their own. I would like to ask those of you who bring young children to my painting table on the lawn to not be judgmental concerning what your child is doing and to try your very best not to offer suggestions as to how to do it. This is for your child to decide and explore. However, I do encourage adults who are Young@Art to explore their own creativity and try finger painting! And of course you need to ask about the big white toads hopping about the gardens!

I hope you will also take a slow walk down the pathways of the Enchanted Woods. There are some rules: help your children stay on the path, there are lovely plantings that need careful nurturing in the woods, (and it is true that I cannot vouch for the complete elimination of the poison ivy I found when we first obtained the property!) –and there are probably elves and fairies, hobbits and trolls, and of course a toad or two who need protection from walking feet!

Song

Five Brown bumpy toads

Walking down a bumpy road

Eating the most delicious bugs.

YUM YUM

One jumped into the pool

Where it was nice and cool

Then there were four brown bumpy toads.

GLUB GLUB

Four..., three..., two….,

One brown, bumpy toad…...

Then there were no brown bumpy toads.

GLUB GLUB

This is an adaptation of Five Green Speckled Frogs!

The picture is from TOADS illustrated by Janelle Thompson.