November Enrichment Guide - On Sale!

Four Full Weeks of Waldorf Crafting, Verses, Songs, Stories, Recipes, Caregiver Meditations, Adult Inner Work and Seasonal Celebrations in the November Enrichment Guide at Little Acorn Learning! Guide features some of Syrendell's work, including an owl hat crochet pattern, Thanksgiving verses, Day of the Dead clay vessels, and star lantern instructions.

Week One, November - Fire, Remembering Loved Ones

~Read Beautiful Books that help you Cherish Loved Ones Once Here.

~Celebrate the Element of Fire this week with your Children.

~Share Circle Time Songs of Autumn, Fire and Remembering

~Make Day of the Dead Clay Vessels

~Create and Honoring Table in Memory of Those You Love

~Make Glistening Votives to Light Up your Home

~Create Day of the Dead Memorial Candles

~Enjoy Autumn Fire Poetry

~Explore the Herb of Rosemary for Remembrance with the Children

~Remember Loved Ones with This Week's Caregiver Meditation

~Bake Soul Cakes


Week Two, November - Martinmas, Living Peacefully
~Read Stories of Peace and Saint Martin
~Share Songs of Lanterns, Light and Martinmas
~Create Martinmas Star Lanterns

~Learn the Song 'I Go With My Little Lantern' on your Pennywhistle or Flute and Listen to the

MP3 Version

~Explore Herbs for Living Peacefully in Your Home or School

~Share a Martinmas Puppet Show that Older Children Can Perform
~Read an Old Tale of St. Martin's Eve
~Meditate on Living Peacefully in Your Life and Work
~Treat those You Love to St. Martin Weckmann & Afternoon Tea

Week Three, November - The Owl, Wisdom
~Read Books of Owls and Wisdom
~Share Fingerplays and Songs for Circle Time
~Crochet a Sweet Owl Hat for the Children
~Read the Wise Wild Owl Poem
~Use Sage for Wisdom in Various Ways Throughout Your Home or School
~Create an Upcycled Wool Owl out of Old Sweaters

Week Four, November - Thanksgiving, Gratitude
~Read Stories of Thanksgiving and Gratitude

~Sing Songs at Circle Time with the Children this Week
~Enjoy Thanksgiving Verses
~Create a Beautiful Thanksgiving Leaf Mobile
~Use Rose for Herbal Gratitude this Week
~Build a Gratitude Tower in the Woods
~Cut Beautiful Autumn Leaf Paper 'Snowflakes'
~Make a Grateful Branch for Your Nature Space or Dinner Table
~What are You Grateful For? Meditate on This with This Week's Caregiver Meditation

Making an Autumn Wreath - Transformation

Taking children on a nature hunt as the seasons change is a wonderful way to honor the plants and the new season.  During Autumn, we enjoy collecting acorn caps, oak balls, dried flowers and rose hips, while marveling at the changing colors of leaves and wild grasses in the preserved pond area near our home.  The landscape has truly transformed!

Once we collected a variety of dried flowers, we decided to create a beautiful wreath for our front door, welcoming autumn into our home.  A bit of Feng Shui included -- wreaths are a way to bring positive energy to your family life.

Supplies:

1.  Two gauges of wire
2.  Wire cutters
3.  Variety of dried flowers, herbs, rose hips
4.  Optional: ribbons and other embellishments (we chose to keep this wreather all natural with no ribbons)

We started off making a circle out of a thicker wire, and then cut pieces of thinner wire for wrapping.

 















Long pieces of sage were placed around the circle and tied on with bits of wire. 

Then, we added dried flowers, berries and rose hips. 

Eventually, there was enough wire wrapped so that all we had to do was stick the plants into the wreath and they would stay. 

We'll add and change out some of the plant material as ithe wreath dries over time, and as we continue on our nature hunt adventures!  

It was exciting to see the rose bushes so transformed from flowers to hips...we wonder what we will find on our next trip! 

Autumn Nature Tables

Autumn is a favorite time for us when it comes to creating nature tables.  Going on nature hunts for rose hips, fallen leaves, oak balls, dried herbs, and acorns is part of the fun! 

We read books about the harvest, gnomes, and the changing of the seasons as the root children begin their descent into the Earth.

We celebrate Michaelmas and bring out pumpkins in anticipation of Halloween.

Rainbow summer colors, green leaves, and ocean waves disappear as hues of orange, gold, eggplant and brown appear.  A time to celebrate the cooler weather and a time of rest and contemplation.

October Enrichment Guide is Here!

Four Full Weeks of Waldorf Crafting, Verses, Songs, Stories, Recipes, Caregiver Meditations, Adult Inner Work and Seasonal Celebrations.  Syrendell is a contributor each week! HUGE E-Book! (OVER 100 pages!)

Week One, October - Birds, Showing Kindness
~Learn and Share New Songs with the Children
~Read Books of Birds and Kindness
~Sew a Bird Mobile
~Participate in Seven Days of Increasing Kindness
~Make Birdseed Pinecones
~Learn a 'Sweet Song' on the Pennywhistle or Flute and Listen to the MP3 Version Sent Along with Your Ebook
~Craft a Beautiful 'Kindness Egg'
~Meditate on Cultivating Kindness in Your Life and the Lives of Others


Week Two, October - Woodworking, Honesty
~Sing Fun Songs as you Tap, Tap,Tap during Woodworking Week
~Read Books to the Children about Woodworking and Honesty
~Create Gorgeous Wooden Trees for Play or to Adorn Your Nature Table
~Read a Sweet Sparkle Story about a Wish Crystal - Included in Your Purchase is also a Link to the MP3 Version of this story by Master Storyteller, David Sewell McCann
~Carve Wooden Snails for the Children
~Spend Time this Week Listening Honestly to the Way You Communicate
Week Three, October - Cornhusks, Humility
~Make Beautiful Cornhusk Candle Holders
~Read Books of the Season and Theme this Week
~Sing Songs of Corn, Farmers and Autumn
~Cook Delicious Tamales for Your Family or School
~Create Flowers out of Cornhusks
~Use a Scroll Saw to Make Autumn Ladies and Indian Corn as Toys or for the Nature Table
~Spend Time Meditating on Being Humble in Life and Accepting Where Others are on Their Path


Week Four, October - Pumpkins, Illumination
~Sing about Witches, Pumpkins and More!
~Fill Your Basket with Books that Light Up the Week
~Bake Pumpkin Muffins with the Children
~Create Pumpkin Globe Lanterns to Illuminate Your Home or School
~Learn 'Orange Leaf' on the Pennywhistle or Flute and Listen to the MP3 Version Sent Along with Your Ebook
~Create a Beautiful Pumpkin Path to Bring in Halloween
~Meditate on Illumination and All of the Colors of Your Life

Birth Photos and Art

Pregnancy and birth are a journey to remember.  This pregnancy, we are taking a lot of pictures and forming a baby book from 5 weeks pregnancy, on. 

5 Weeks

18 Weeks

Part of the baby book will feature artwork.  What do we think of when we say, "pregnant", "baby", "birth"?  Each person in the family has a different outlook -- a personal interpretation of what this special time means for us.


39-40 Weeks

Each of us created a piece of artwork by drawing over the past couple of months.  Once the baby is born, we will do this again.  It is fascinating to see the differences in the styles, medium choices and content. 

We look forward to including these beautiful pieces of artwork in the baby's book after she is born!

Wilson's Birth Art - Colored Pencils

Joey's Birth Art - Colored Pencils

Ricky's Birth Art - Pencil

Jennifer's Birth Art - Block Crayons

Rick's Birth Art - Oil Pastels

Handwork eBooks

Need some ideas for handwork projects at home?  Our seasonal handwork eBooks are available through Little Acorn Learning.  Each one features a variety of handwork, verses and pictures.

Autumn

Winter

Spring

Summer

Making a Silk Tepee

Tepees are great fun for outdoor and indoor play!

As we've found out, they also can be an abode for curious pets....

If you are studying Native Americans this year, you can work on creating a more authentic tepee and and incorporate this into lessons.

Learning how to do knots and lashing to create a sturdy frame is wonderful, too!  Look at scouting manuals for help.

Maybe sleep in it overnight?

Play clips, yarn, twine and clothespins are helpful if you want to reuse the silks or fabric.

Rainbow Silks in our Etsy shop.

Wood play clips from this Etsy shop, and this one.

August Enrichment Guide is Here!

Wonderful August enrichment book from Little Acorn Learning (OVER 100 pages!).

Four Full Weeks of Waldorf Crafting, Verses, Songs, Stories, Recipes, Caregiver Meditations, Adult Inner Work and Seasonal Celebrations

Some of our articles are featured this month, including yoga poses for handwork, weaving, painting, and planting a healing garden. More information and to order online: http://littleacornlearning.com/augustenrichment.html



Week One, August - Wild Herbs & Flowers, Healing
~Sing Songs of Herbs and Flowers
~Make Homemade Herbal Soaps
~Create Scented Herb Wash
~Plant a Healing Garden with Your Children
~Enjoy Homemade Lavender Bubble Bath
~Make Herbal Acrostics
~Meditate on Healing Yourself Spiritual and Physically

Week Two, August - The Ladybug, Gentleness
~Read Stories of Gentleness and Ladybugs
~Learn Sweet Fingerplays and Songs
~Sew a Felt Ladybug Bracelet
~Paint Ladybug Pet Rocks
~Enjoy the Ladybug's Tea Poem
~Learn the Let's Find a Ladybug Song on Your Pennywhistle or Flute!
~Receive the MP3 Version of the Let's Find a Ladybug Song with Your Purchase
~Teach Your Child the Gentle Art Form of Wet on Wet Watercolor Painting
~Take Time for Your Spirit and Ponder Being Gentle with Yourself in this Life

Week Three, August - Starfish & Seahorses, Movement
~Share Movement Songs with the Children
~Read Stories of Starfish and Seahorses
~Sew a Seahorse Toy
~Create Beautiful Starfish out of Felt for Your Children
~Enjoy the Movement of Yoga
~Make a Sea Stars Banner to Decorate Your Home or School
~How do you find the balance necessary between Movement and Rest in your life?
Mediate on this and more in this week's Caregiver Meditation.


Week Four, August - The Unicorn, Imagination~Share Tales of Unicorns and Imagination
~Create a Unicorn Stuffed Toy
~Sing Songs and Move this Week!
~Make a Unicorn's Labyrinth
~Practice the Unicorn Song on Your Pennywhistle or Flute and Receive the MP3 Version with your August Enrichment Guide!
~Spend Time Weaving with Your Imagination with a Special Craft
~How can you create an environment which fosters Imagination in the children you care for?
What do you imagine for your life?

Syrendell on Squidoo!

Thanks to Lensmaster Sara Duggan of Mom with a Hook, we now have a beautiful Squidoo Lens!  Sara is truly amazing...she put this together for us so quickly and professionally.  We highly recommend her service for those who want to get their blogs, websites, Etsy shops or other web presence alive and connected online.  And, she's super-sweet and very creative!  Quite the fiber artist.  :)

Contact Sara through her blog or on Facebook.  You can also sign up for her e-newsletter. 

Here is our lens...come and take a peek, and please leave a comment in our guestbook!

New eCourse -- Waldorf and Anthroposophy!

 

An exciting new ecourse begins on August 15th through Little Acorn Learning! 'The Five Spheres of Waldorf Education' will be led by Dr. Rick Tan.

This ecourse encapsulates the sweeping themes of this educational movement: Self, Relationships, Balance, Rhythm, and Course. Dr. Rick Tan will discuss one sphere per week and the relevant topics in anthroposophy and Waldorf that are connected with the sphere. Join us! Click here to register.

Birthday Rings

We have always wanted a birthday ring that we could also use on our nature table for festival celebrations, including Advent.  One of our local Waldorf dads handcrafts these beautiful rings and sells them in his Etsy shop.  We asked for one unfinished so that we could paint it ourselves!

The wood is sycamore which is already so beautiful on its own.  We tested out how it would look on our kitchen table and in our nature table area.

Wilson and Mommy decided to paint rainbow colors using our Stockmar watercolors.  Then, we polished them with natural beeswax polish. 

Now, the birthday ring is ready!  It's so beautiful, we have it out in the kitchen right now.  When the new baby is born around October, we will use it to celebrate the birth with a candle.