Ideally, your children will participate in the daily life of your family, supported by the rhythms and activities sent by the teachers. In the Getting Started post we suggested a daily rhythm similar to the structure of our day in Nature Kindergarten. We encourage each family to use this material in the way that works best for them. Some families may use everything we send, and others may use a little here and there. Both approaches are right, and no one needs to feel guilty if they are not using everything we share – you know best what your child needs in this difficult time. We’re here to support you!
Welcome to week 2 of our Nature (home)School Support blog posts. We hope that you are finding the resources helpful and inspiring! This week, you will receive this one MEGA post with all the resources you will need for the week. Wishing you happy learning, connecting, and outdoor adventuring!
Good morning dear Earth, and good morning dear Sun
Good morning to the rocks, and dear bushes every one
Good morning to the bears, and the birds in the trees
Good morning to you, and good morning to me.
NATURE NOTES
Learn more about how birds build their nests with Teacher Jacob!
WEEK 2 - SEASONAL POEMS
Repetition is so important for children. They love to become so familiar with poems and songs that they can repeat them or sing by themselves. It gives them a sense of mastery. The poems and songs become like old friends providing children with a sense of comfort.
Actions to go with the poem:
Make “O” with fingers.
Place “seed” in palm of other hand.
Make sleeping gesture with hands to head.
Point thumb at self, shake index finger in rhythm.
Point index fingers down.
Point index fingers up.
Cup hands tightly together.
Unfurl cupped hands.
Spread hands widely.
Make “O” with fingers.
Open “O”s into widely cupped hands.
Wiggle fingers.
Point to self.
Cross arms over chest and nod “yes”.
From A Child’s Seasonal Treasury compiled and written by Betty Jones
LITTLE BROWN RABBIT
A little brown rabbit popped out of the ground, (Right index and middle fingers pop-up)
Wriggled his whiskers and looked all around. (Wiggle rabbit-ear fingers)
Another wee rabbit who lived in the grass, (Left rabbit ears pop up)
Popped his head out and watched him pass. (Right hand crosses over left hand at wrists)
Then both wee rabbits went hippity-hop-hippity-hop-hippity-hop, (Hop both hands)
‘Til they came to a wall and had to stop. (Both hands stop suddenly)
Then both wee rabbits turned themselves around, (Uncross hands)
And scuttled off home to their holes in the ground. (Hands hop back to sides and hide behind back)
WEEK 2 - SEASONAL SONGS
SPRING IS HERE
Spring is here, spring is here,
All around is fair,
Shiver, quiver on the river,
Joy is everywhere!
Spring is here, spring is here,
Flowers are waking too,
Crocus, lilies, daffodillies,
All are coming through.
Spring is here, spring is here,
Birds go build your nest,
Weave together straw and feather,
Doing each your best.
Spring is here, spring is here,
All around is fair,
Shiver, quiver on the river,
Joy is everywhere!
WINTER’S COME AND GONE
Oh little red bird
Come to my window sill
Been so lonesome
Shaking that morning chill
Oh little red bird
Open your mouth and say
Been so lonesome
Just about flown away
So long now I've been out
In the rain and snow
But winter's come and gone
A little bird told me so
Oh little blue bird
Pearly feather breast
Five cold nickels all I got left
Oh little blue bird
What am I gonna do
Five cold nickels
Ain't gonna see me through
So long now I've been out
In the rain and snow
But winter's come and gone
A little bird told me so
Oh little black bird
On my wire line
Dark as trouble
In this heart of mine
Poor little black bird
Sings a worried song
Dark as trouble
'Til winter's come and gone
So long now I've been out
In the rain and snow
But winter's come and gone
A little bird told me so
So long now I've been out
In the rain and snow
But winter's come and gone
A little bird told me so
INCH BY INCH
Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row
Please bless these seeds I sow
Please warm them from below
Till the rain comes tumbling down
Pulling weeds and picking stones
We are made of dreams and bones
Feel the need to grow my own
Cause the time is close at hand
Grateful rain, sun and rain
Find my way in nature's chain
Tune my body and my brain
To the music from the land
Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row
Please bless these seeds I sow
Please warm them from below
Till the rain comes tumbling down
Plant your rows straight and long
Season them with prayer and song
Mother Earth will make you strong
If you give her love and care
Old crow watches hungrily
From his perch in yonder tree
In my garden I'm as free
As that feathered friend up there
MORNING ADVENTURE
I invite you to use the ideas provided below as a jumping off point for your adventures this week. Depending on the weather, certain activities will be more appropriate for the day’s adventure. Pack your backpack with a snack, water, and extra clothes.
LITTLE BIRD
Little bird, little bird
Where are you going to?
Little bird, little bird
Where will you fly?
Into the wood and over the meadow
In the blue sky, that’s where I will fly.
Check out I Love Dirt written by Jennifer Ward and Play the Forest School Way written by Peter Houghton & Jane Worroll for more great outdoor adventure ideas.
STORY TIME
In our Nature Kindergarten, we sing ‘Mother of the Fairy Tale’ and light a candle to set the tone and the children listen attentively without interruption.
STORY FOR THE LETTER V
Our story for the letter V is The Voyageur’s Paddle written by Kathy-jo Wargin, and illustrated by David Geister. Invite your child to pay attention to the pictures that they imagine as they listen to the story.
SEASONAL STORY
New shoots are popping up everywhere! This story is about a little seed in the springtime and his journey out into the world above ground.
MOTHER GOOSE TIME
In the Nature Kindergarten, we have a circle time devoted to playing with language and rhymes. We often incorporate movements and actions as we say the poems and rhymes. We start our circle by saying the Mother Goose verse in the audio file below. At the end of our circle we ‘fly’ Mother Goose away with a closing verse. Working with these resources at home, you could add a Mother Goose time into your story time or in a transitional moment in your day.
Work with your child to think up with actions to represent the words in the poem.
Every week we introduce a new Mother Goose rhyme for the letter of the week. This week’s letter is V. We use this as an opportunity to practice keeping a beat by clapping our hands, stomping our feet, or patting our thighs.
AFTERNOON ACTIVITY
Below you will find a selection of activities that you may want to try throughout the week.
ART
DRAW A “V” PICTURE
Ask your child to draw the picture that came into their mind as they listened to the story of The Voyageur’s Paddle. They might choose to include the letter V somewhere in their drawing.
Materials:
Crayons
Drawing paper
When we draw in the Nature Kindergarten class, the children start by drawing a large border around their paper. This practice encourages them to do their best work and have an appreciation for beauty and order.
BAKING
HOT CROSS BUNS
A traditional seasonal treat. Let young chef measure and count out the milk (1 cup equals 16 tablespoons).
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon allspice
1/2 tablespoon nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1 ounce yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup currants
2 tablespoons orange peel
Glaze:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large bowl, thoroughly combine flour, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm milk and let proof. Cut butter into dry ingredients; add yeast mixture, egg, currants, and peel. Knead well. Cover and put dough in warm place to rise to double its size. Divide dough into 12 to 16 parts for children to knead on floured surface. Shape into buns. Place buns on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled. With knife, slash a cross on top of each bun before baking in preheated 450 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. To make the glaze, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring to prevent burning; let cool. Glaze buns when buns and glaze are cool.
* Looking for a vegan, gluten-free treat? You can check out how to make Chocolate Mud
HANDWORK
YARN POM-POMS
The Nature Kindergarten children started a handwork project that they were going to be working on over several weeks. Returning to a project that has been started is an important skill. Children learn persistence, patience, and work ethic. Since we aren’t able to send home the projects that they began in class, here is the link to the instructions. You will likely have these materials at home and your child can start fresh on a new yarn pom-pom. This is a great project to return to whenever your child is looking for something to do.
Materials:
yarn
cardboard (we used recycled cereal boxes)
darning needle (needed only at the end of the project)
scissors
PROJECT
WHEAT GRASS
In this video tutorial Teacher Jessica shares how to grow wheat grass to bring some springtime energy into your home.
FORCING BRANCHES
Another lovely seasonal project that you might consider this week is forcing a few branches to bloom. It is so uplifting to bring some fresh green plant life into your living space. If you have never done this before, you can find out more here.
Photo credit: Sarah Vandenberg
We end our day with this verse during our closing circle:
Brave and true, I will be
Each kind deed sets me free
Each kind word makes me strong
I will fight for the right
I will conquer the wrong.
MORE RESOURCES
This is a fantastic website that has inspired me for many years. It has lots of wonderful resources and suggestions for Waldorf-Inspired activities to do with your children. Visit Meagan Rose Wilson.
CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY
You have the opportunity to connect with other parents and families on the Nature (home)School journey through a private Facebook group. The digital forum is a place where you can post photos of the activities that you get up to with your children, share stories or inspirations from your outdoor adventures, and connect with other families. Please follow the link to connect with other families in the online community or from Facebook - search: Nature (home)School Support.
We are a very small Not For Profit School. If you like these resources and find them helpful, please consider making a donation to our Nature Kindergarten program. We appreciate your support!