Nutcracker Soldier at Candy Gate

A tall nutcracker soldier stands on a path beside a young girl who is looking up at him with her hands clasped. The soldier has a feathered hat, curly side hair, a curled mustache, a long beard, epaulettes, buttons, a belt, boots, and a straight parade pose. Behind them is a striped candy arch with spiral lollipop posts, a bow and swirled round candy at the top, and a curved gate with vertical bars. The path is filled with oval stepping stones, with dotted gumdrop shaped bushes and leafy shrubs along both sides. For a printable activity, invite children to choose two colors for the striped arch, then count the dots on each candy bush.