From Mārtiņi Day to Latvia’s Birthday: Creative Holiday Workshops for Children’s Groups

In November, the Nature Park in Tērvete invites groups of preschool and first-grade children to special environmentally themed creative workshops, where together with gnomes and other fairy-tale forest characters they will have the chance to explore Latvian traditions, make themed souvenirs, and celebrate in the forest.

From November 3 to 10, the creative environmental workshop “Mārtiņi Day at Gnomes’ Homestead” will take place, during which children will join the budēļi procession to Gnomes’ Homestead, learn about masquerade traditions and the significance of Mārtiņi Day in the Latvian annual cycle. The program includes making a wooden craft, a story about the importance of the forest and timber in ancient traditions, Mārtiņi Day games, riddles, enjoying warm herbal tea at the Gnomes’ Workshop, and a special Mārtiņi Day fire ritual in Gnomes’ Village.

Meanwhile, from November 11 to 20, children are invited to the workshop “Happy Birthday, My Green Latvia!”, where they will get to know Latvia’s symbols and their meaning in an engaging way. The little participants will work in the woodworking workshop, create a themed souvenir, listen to a story about the Latvian coat of arms and the symbolic significance of the oak and linden tree, and take part in songs and dance games together with fairy-tale characters.

At the end of both programs, children will be treated to a ride on the Fairy Tale Train. The workshops last up to two hours, and sessions are held at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Participation fee: 11.00 EUR per person. Registration and additional information: +371 28309394.