Syrendell Workshops in Review

We can't express enough how much we enjoy sharing, teaching and learning with others on this homeschooling/Waldorf path.  Thank you for these beautiful blog posts about our recent Spinning and Grade 2 workshops!

Spinning at the Spinning Wheels

Jen D's blog at Ancient Hearth http://ancienthearth2.blogspot.com/2010/03/syrendell-workshops-spinning-grade-2.html

Sara W's blog at Love in the Suburbs http://loveinthesuburbs.com/wordpress/spinning/comment-page-1#comment-2712

More pictures of our spinning 1/2 day, and Grade 2 1/2 workshops:

Spindle Spinning

Main Lesson Book Practice - Fables

Wet-on-Wet Watercoloring

Nature Weaving with 7 Year-Olds

Upcoming Workshops at: www.syrendellacademy.com.  Let us know if you need a custom workshop here in Fair Oaks, or at your own location.

Felted Earth Spheres - Rhythm of the Home Magazine

Our article on how to make felted earth spheres for the Rhythm of the Home magazine is featured in the Spring issue: http://rhythmofthehome.com/spring-2010/felted-wool-earth-balls/.

Handwork Workshop March 6 - Fair Oaks, CA and March 27 - Everett, WA

Handwork in the Dell: Workshop for Parents and Teens


March 6, 2010
9:00am - 4:00pm
Fair Oaks, California


Open to adults who want to learn more about fiber arts and how to teach handwork to their own children in a homelearning and/or Waldorf-inspired environment. Limited space available. (Teens also welcome -- please email us in advance). Come join Jennifer and Joey Tan at Syrendell for a day of fiber arts fun!

Price includes all materials (including yarn and spinning fiber used during the workshop), a 20+ page handout, snacks and a bio-dynamic, organic lunch. Spindles, knitting needles, crochet hooks, extra roving, fiber arts supplies, books, silks and other items available for purchase at a discount during the workshop. $80.

Schedule and registration at: www.syrendellacademy.com.  We have just 4 spaces left!

We are also hosting a handwork workshop in Everett, WA on March 27, 2010 (3 spaces left!).  Don't live near Fair Oaks or Everett?  Email us if you are interested in having us travel and lead a workshop in your area.  info@syrendell.com.

Spring Flowers and Geometry

We've been inspired by the beautiful daffodils blooming in our yard!  To celebrate this sign of early Spring, we sketched the daffodils for a while when the sun was out....

Daffodils have 6 petals, so we drew 6-pointed stars and hexagons to help us with the symmetry.

Our wonderful neighbor loaned us an amazing Waldorf book that is no longer in print and is all in German.  It features forms and shapes of plants, animals, minerals. 

Next, we drew triangles, squares, 5-pointed stars and 6-pointed stars.  Based on the drawings in the book, we sketched out flowers that follow these 3, 4, 5, and 6-petal/leaf patterns. 

 

Then, it was time to color the flowers.  If the flowers were blooming outside, we observed them (mostly pansies and daffodils right now!).  

Joey

We discussed the color variations of each flower as we drew. 

Ricky

We wrote the numbers in Arabic and Roman numerals and the names of the flowers in English.  Next week, we will add the names in Spanish and German. 

Wilson

Products and Businesses that We Love

Here are some products and businesses that we love....


Organic aromatherapy soaps and candles
Oakmoss Etsy Shop  http://www.etsy.com/shop/oakmoss


Learning Foreign Language
Live Mocha http://www.livemocha.com/invite/r:35UGl8pq

Natural Dyes
Griffin Dyeworks http://www.griffindyeworks.com/

Fiber/Roving for Spinning and Felting
Dancing Leaf Farm http://www.etsy.com/shop/dancingleaffarm
Fiber Fancy http://www.etsy.com/shop/FiberFancy
The Sassy Sheep http://www.etsy.com/shop/westwinddesigns
Fiber Optic http://www.etsy.com/shop/FiberOptic
Mandalinn http://www.etsy.com/shop/mandalinn


Organic Seeds
Homegrown Healthy http://www.etsy.com/shop/HomegrownHealthy


Organic and Biodynamic Essential Oils and Hydrosols
Essential Aura http://www.essentialaura.com/


Organic Herbs
Mountain Rose Herbs http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/


Wood Buttons
The Button Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/thebuttonshop


Wood Cars, Boats and Play Farm Fences
Footeprint Woodworks http://www.etsy.com/shop/footeprint


Story Books, Wood Dice, Other Wood Items
Mama Roots http://www.etsy.com/shop/mamaroots


Knitted Gnomes and Animals
Mamma 4 Earth http://www.etsy.com/shop/mamma4earth


Felted Acorns and Fairies
Fairy Folk http://www.etsy.com/shop/Fairyfolk

Discovering Waldorf - Elemental Simplicity

Come and take a peek at Rick's post about "Elemental Simplicity" on The Magic Onions' inspirational blog series on discovering Waldorf: http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/2010/02/discovering-waldorf-elemental.html

Watercolor Number Chart - Math & Foreign Language

Watercolor Number Chart

To make a number chart:


1.  Obtain a piece of watercolor paper, a ruler and a white crayon.

2.  Decide how many numbers you want on your chart.  The chart shown here features "12".

3.  Draw lines with the white crayon and ruler.  Draw the numbers in the spaces.

4.  Prepare a space for your child with watercolors, brushes, rags, and a jar of water. 

5.  Allow the child to select colors and paint all over the paper.  When the number appear, watch the delight in your child's eyes!

6.  Allow to dry and put between heavy books, if needed.  The chart should be ready to use the following day.

Ideas for using the chart:

1.  Learning the names of numbers.  Use shells, gems, stones, pearls or bean bags (depending on how large the numbers are!) to play games.

2.  Learning the names of numbers in foreign languages.  Put a stone on a number and ask the child to tell it to you in the foreign language.  Or, say it in the foreign language and the child will place the stone on the correct number. 


3.  Use pieces of paper to cover up numbers to show divisible groups, or pieces of yarn to put in-between groups of numbers.  In this example, you could divide the paper into 3's, 4's, 6's.

Other ideas?  Feel free to leave a comment! Thank you to Suzanne from the amazing blog, down in the meadow for the inspiration (she also has a lovely Etsy shop)!

The Golden Mean

Come take a peek at Rick's blog post about divine proportion, da vinci, algebra, geometry, and business math...and about our son's 13th birthday rite of passage ceremony: www.thewaldorfway.blogspot.com.

Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year Crafts

Some Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year Crafting this past week....

Cross-Stitching Hearts

Felted/Wood Finger Puppets

Valentine's Nook in the Dell

Hanging Hearts

Weaving

Red & Pink Window Stars

Chinese Lanterns With "Wang" (King-Tiger) Symbols

Masks