A letter for Annie and Me

Last week we received an email from one of the several Preschools that receive our letters. This one is a cooperative nature based Preschool for 3 to 5 year olds. Receiving the letters in a classroom setting is different that getting them at home. There are lots of little voices that have opinions and questions. Lots of eyes noticing things in the photographs, and lots of little imaginations all drawing up the world that they each see inside their heads. In a class full of 20 students, you will have 20 different images of what Alfred Gnome looks like.

Imagine our delight when we received this…

“We LOVE our subscription! We always save the letters to read on our Outdoor Days (Wednesdays) and the children love it when I say to them ” We got another letter! ” . At the beginning it was difficult for them to sit still and listen to a story that was not a picture book. However, the adventures of the creatures in Mariposa Forest soon drew them in and we have relatively little difficulty now. I ask lots of detailed comprehension questions at the end of each letter and the children always understand exactly what has happened! The latest fun is guessing who the letter is from by the colour of the envelope! I also have to admit that it was the children who noticed the stamps with the animals on them. Well done!”

It doesn’t really get any better than that for us. Thank you to all of the teachers and parents at the Chelsea Cooperative Preschool who allow us to come in twice a month and spread a little magic into their day.

A Letter to Pika Bird

Another letter this week to feature, and once again not addressed to Annie or I. This one actually came in a while ago and was sent from a little boy who has just turned six. Everytime we open the mailbox and see one of those shaky lettered notes, my heart just melts. What we aim to do is so much more than just send a story to your child in the mail. We really want to help grow and nurture their imagination. As adults it is hard to sometimes grasp how just a simple thing as a short little story can really inspire a child. We read it with adult eyes and it appears to be a simple, sweet story. However, for the child, it is a world to be created in their minds. The characters and forest can look however they like. In their minds, they can interact with them, they can see them going about their adventures. This is what we want to deliver to your child each month. So when we get a letter addressed to Pika Bird with a little boy of just barely six expressing his love for her, we know we have done a good job fulfilling our goal. Thank you for sharing with us little one and Pika Bird thanks you as well!

How about you? Do you receive our stories? Feel free to drop us a note and let us know how they are being received in your house. They don’t need to be child written, we have many from parents, grandparents, and teachers telling us how the children in their lives are enjoying Mariposa Forest. We love getting mail almost as much as we love to send it!

First day of Spring.

Today is the very first day of Spring. And it’s a gorgeous one. But not one that reminds you of spring in the least. This morning Elizabeth said ‘Mama, I think Mother Nature must love Winter more than Spring and that’s why she’s keeping Winter around longer.’

it’s hard to not agree with that logic this year. Or Alexandre’s thoughts that the groundhog must have accidently checked his shadow AGAIN and caused us six MORE weeks of winter.

Perhaps. Or perhaps next week Spring will arrive. But you better believe that between now and whenever that happens — I’m going to soak up the new snow and glorious sunshine. The combination of the March light, morning fog and the fresh snow is a rare treat for me. We’re expecting a few more centimeters this week I believe — and we will keep staring in amazement at the sparkles it leaves in the morning.

Etsy shop is now open for business!

Mariposa Forest can now also be found on Etsy! Along with our subscriptions, you can also find celebration cards. Currently we have our Holiday cards stocked. They are perfect for any Winter holiday you may celebrate and can be sent to everyone on your list. Afterall, who doesn’t like a little whimsy and magic at this time of year?

If you are planning on buying a subscription of Mariposa forest for a special little one in your life this holiday season, a single card could be used to announce the gift.

We hope to be adding more things over the next few months, all of course with a bit of Mariposa Magic, so make sure you stop by every once in awhile and see what new things appear.

A letter to Nissa…

Our little stories are now traveling around the globe and it is always fascinating to hear how the children are enjoying them and what each one is getting from the experience. We love to hear from our subscribers, so we have decided that every now and again we will share with you some of the feedback we get. We have been overwhelmed by the amazing response that we have received from parents, teachers, and grandparents, but our favorites are the ones we get from the children themselves. Our recent favorite was from a little boy of 4 and 3/4. We must not forget the three quarters bit!

This letter came not to Annie or I, why would they, we don’t exist to the children! This letter came addressed to Nissa fairy. It was a beautiful map of where he lives and telling her all about his surroundings. He also thanked her for her stories.

No matter how many of these we get, each one still melts our hearts. These imaginative little minds are exactly why we started Mariposa Forest in the first place, and it just makes us so happy to know that the little people that the stories are intended for are enjoying them so much!

Thank you for your beautiful letter little one and thank you to his Mother for allowing us to be a part of his childhood!

Welcome!

So this is it, our official launch into blogland. What will you find here? What is our purpose in keeping this blog? We hope to use it as a way to promote things that are important to us; connection to nature, getting outside with our families, and helping our children learn and connect to the piece of Earth that they call home. We will be sharing links, listing resources, posting craft ideas, as well as seasonal activities to get out and enjoy the great outdoors no matter where you live. We will also hope to have contributors who will share with us what is happening where they live and how they are getting out and exploring nature. From the heart of the cities to the rural farms, we will see how others are experiencing nature and hopefully inspire others to do the same.

If you are interested in sharing your story, feel free to contact us for more information at info@mariposaforest.com, we are currently working on a press pack with all the details! Also, please sign up for our newsletter. Our newsletter will be sent twice monthly, as is our snail mail and will include similar topics as our blog as well as highlight posts and comments from readers — as we hope to build a like minded community.

When you sign up for our newsletter, you will get access to our free audio sample story. As our stories are meant to be story telling stories, and listened to rather than just read, we offer you what they sound like. As adults it is sometimes hard to read something meant for children and to hear it with their ears, hopefully this will help!

In order to build a community of like minded people — we need you. If you have the time to share thoughts, reflections or comments on any of our blog post, please do. We will be in the comment section answering questions, furthering topics and most importantly, building connections. We hope that you will feel this a fabulous space to share with others.

Thank you — and WELCOME!

Annie & Jennifer