Sticks Across the Chimney: A Story of Denmark by Nora Burglon
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Chapter I
- I thought this “painted figures” kit from Amazon ($15.00, affiliate link) would be fun to add. They could do it the entire time the book is scheduled, and there’s plenty for more than one child. Otherwise, make your own if you already have the crafts and supplies. These are not the kind in the story, but they are still fun to make
- Ask local paint, hardware, and home improvement stores for wallpaper books. They will provide even more craft ideas for the creative child.
- Enjoy some Kanelsnagle Danish Cinnamon Buns
Chapter II
- Have your children come up with their own version of the stone game. The laundry game, the feeding the animals game, the weeding the garden game, or even the toys game, or whatever they find. Divide into teams (even if one team is just you and the other your child) and have a contest.
- I believe the children in the book are using water to make the colors of the wallpaper book into a sort of paint by reconstituting the painted pages with water. If anyone knows differently, let me know. You can have your child paint in a coloring book or any other type of fun painting they might wish to do.
Chapter III
- A fun book that used to be included in Sonlight was The Wheel on the School, a lovely book about children trying to get the storks to build nests in their village. It would tie in very well here.
- Watch videos of storks caught on the Stork Cam, including live video
- Video of Christian the Builder (Christian IV) and some of his buildings, including his palace (3 minutes)
Chapter IV
- Short video of storks nesting on a chimney. (1 minute)
- The children in the book made a meal. While it’s not specified just how they made it or what they made, I’ve looked up some recipes from Denmark to try.
- Danish bread recipes
- Danish loaf bread recipe with just egg, sugar, flour, yeast, and salt (video)
- Traditional Danish rye bread recipe
- Coffee “Bread” cake
- Fish and vegetables (doesn’t say what kind)
- Danish fish cake recipe (Fiskefrikadeller)
- Danish fish stew
- Vegetables mentioned in the garden at the end of the chapter include carrots, dried beans and peas, parsnips, rutabagas, beets, spinach, and cabbage.
Chapter V
- A gem of a book I found, called The Yellow Star, about Denmark is about King Christian X (not King Christian IV mentioned in the book, but a descendant, and a lovely might-be-true story of his resistance to Nazi power during WWII.
- Seven Jumps Danish Folk Dance
- A Variation on Seven Jumps
Chapter VI
- King Knut/Cnut (4 minutes)
- I would have loved to include a link to the book Bibi: A Little Danish Girl, and you can find scarce copies available online, but for the most part, this book has been out of print for a long time. From what I’ve seen, the book is over 350 pages and has at least six sequels. 😉 Sadly, you can inform your children that Bibi did go out of print. Perhaps your child would also like to copy down a favorite book as protection against it someday going out of print, although so much is still available digitally these days.
- Compare and contrast vegetable flavors: Canned, frozen, and fresh.
- More info about the Nisse. Warning: At the end (1:55), they mention that the Nisse can harm or kill animals or men.
- “Apple skiver” recipe
- Field Trip Idea: Blueberry Picking
Chapter VII
- Look through today’s Royal Copenhagen China Fabrique pottery.
- Grossology-cartoon about swamp gas (warning: they think it’s a UFO quite a bit, until science proves them wrong, warning 2, the language and actions might be slightly intense for some families (“in your face,” getting in people’s faces, etc.). It also talks about conservation and other “green” concepts.
- Viking Runes (5 minutes)
Chapter VIII
- I can’t find a good tour of a Viking burial mound, so here is a peak inside an ancient burial mound in Ireland.
- Field Trip Idea: Museum with Viking exhibit in your area
Chapter IV
- Tour of Vikingaliv Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. (Warning: some of the art might be disturbing for sensitive viewers). (4.5 minutes)
- Viking Shield craft
Chapter V
- Using clay or play-doh, make your Viking-Themed clay crafts to enjoy
- Field Trip Idea: Pottery shop where children can make clay and see a kiln
Extras:
Other books by the same author include The Gate Swings In: A Story of Sweden. Besides these two, most of her other books are out of print.
