Posts filed under 'the seasons'
Picking apples, and Mini German Caramel Apple Pancakes
We went on a field trip a few hours north to a u-pick apple grove to see how apples were grown and pick a bushel for preserving. The whole picking process was fast. I wish it had been a longer experience, but at least my daughter did get the experience of pulling the apples from the tree with her own hands, apples she will process this week into dried apples, apple sauce, and fruit leather during next week’s lessons. At the orchard a mother pig had just had 5 babies a few days before. Baby pigs are pretty close to the cutest things on earth. You really have to see them in action. CUTE OVERLOAD!!! 
This morning I made everyone mini german apple pancakes from a few of the apples we picked. The recipe is below.
3 comments September 27, 2009
Michaelmas activity round-up

Michaelmas is quickly approaching. This is my favorite time of the year, and for me heralds the beginning of the holiday season. Michael is the brave dragon conquerer who wields a sword of cosmic iron, and brings strength to mankind, strength we can draw upon as the days become darker and we find our light within. I am working on planning for activities for the festival. This is a nice little list of links with ideas for activities, stories, verses, and songs.
- how to make a dragon kite
- Michaelmas circle activity
- dragon bread-verse & recipe
- Li Chi Slays the Serpent- a girl hero story
- How to make an easy silk cape- I give you a cape of golden light, to gove you courage, strength & might
- Dying with goldenrod- a gift from fall. Goldenrod is free, creates beautiful golden colors, and is easier to find than marigolds this time of year.
- Beautiful article by Donna Simmons of CHristopherus
- Wet felt Michaelmas star balls (I can’t wait to do this. We will dye them with goldenrod since it is in season, plentiful, and free)
- Story-Nkosnati and the Dragon- beautiful story for Michaelmas from South Africa
- Holywood Steiner video of children singing Michaelmas song
- dragon kite #2
- dragon pinata out of recycled materials
Lastly here is a verse that we use in circle time to reinforce the rhythm of the 3 times table 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9, 10-11-12, ect
Brave & true I will be,
Each good deed sets me free
Each kind word makes me strong
I will fight for the right
I will con-quer the wrong
1 comment September 20, 2009
making pine cone bird feeders
The air is cold, the worms are hid
for the robin what can be done?
Let us make some pine cone feeders
so he may eat until winter’s gone.
We are working on the lives of saints. This week I told the story of Saint Francis & the birds. We made some simple pine cone bird feeders with pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed, and hung them in front of all of the windows so that we could see the birds. DD spent about half an hour today just watching the differnt birds who came to feast. Most of you I’m sure have seen these before. If not all you do is smear the cone with the p-nut butter, and then roll in bird seed. I give my daughter all of the supplies on an old baking pan, and when we are done there is very little mess to clean up. She loves making these, and the birds love eating them.



Add comment January 16, 2009
Winter nature table

This is our winter nature table featuring king winter. We will most likely add some hanging snow flakes, & frost fairies. I hope to have time to craft a little Prince Silvercap to go put on it as well. We made the background by folding a posterboard in half, the cutting an arched shape on the top. We drew snowflakes with a white crayon, and then did a purple & blue color wash with watercolor paints. I am sure watery tempura paints would work too. We like to paint or draw backgrounds for the table rather than use cloth. It really gets the child/children involved in the process, and is so easy that even a 3 year old can help.

1 comment January 11, 2009




Today we started a new science lesson block. We will be studying minerals, rocks, & soil. This ties into us preparing the soil for our garden beds which will soon be planted with early spring crops. I used the verse 

