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For Teachers and Parents

Children love candles, perhaps because they are an important part of most family and holiday celebrations. Birthdays can't be complete without candles on the cake, and holiday dinners often feature beautiful tapers on the table, whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza. You can't really have a wedding without candles, can you? Even in emergencies, candles are there to illuminate the house when the power goes out.

Below are some ideas to help you extend learning and have fun with candles.  

In Michigan: 
Field Trips to the Davisburg Candle Factory are a perfect way to spend a rainy or snowy day and can make our books come alive for the child. One young girl recently visited the factory with her grandmother and said, "Grandma, we can't visit a story." Her Gram replied, "This one we can!"
Note of caution: Midnight and Elvis no longer live at the candle factory and you may have to explain where they have gone.
Davisburg Candle Factory is located at 634 Broadway in Davisburg, Michigan 48350. 248-634-4214.

Elsewhere:
Visit the closest candle shop you can find and enjoy the sights and scents of candles. Imagine with the child what it's like to make the candles (and use the part about hot wax to explain candle safety and safe burning practices!)  Yankee Candle Find a Shop

Candlemaking is exciting and rewarding, and there are many ways to decorate or create candles without heating up wax. Here's a fun link we like for children of all ages: Family Fun and Candlemaking

The Candle Factory Collection of titles are appropriately written for children ages 3-8. They are recommended for Grades Kindergarten-Grade 2 by the School Library Journal. Both guides below require Adobe Reader in order to open in your browser.

Teacher's Guide(pdf):  The Cat in the Candle Factory

Teacher's Guide (pdf):  Christmas at the Candle Factory