Nature School :: Planning by the Lake

The heat wave continues, so we've been enjoying the cold mountain waters. The children went wading at Laurel Bed Lake while I did some first and third grade planning.  It seems many people had similar ideas (minus the planning), so we chose a new spot that we could have all to ourselves.  The children said it was more fun than the beach at our local state park.  

 

This lake is intended for anglers, so the children were excited to find part of a boat engine propeller by the shore.  They also enjoyed the clay soil and collected some on a rock to mold and squish. Laurel loves all kinds of modeling and dough, so it was hard to pull her away.

I really enjoyed the scenery, in addition to the ability to focus more clearly. I watched two does and two fawns run across the road, which is much more fun than watching deer eat the apples here at home. It might seem counter-intuitive to drive a hour into the woods just to look at binders and play the flute, but it works very well for me.

As far as my planning goes, I've read over the bulk of grades one and three.  I've got a feel for the rhythm the materials are suggesting, and I'm feeling ready to begin mapping out the year.  Both Christopherus and Lavender's Blue allow for days for outside activities, so I think it will work well to do two grades at once.  I think both children will benefit from the materials covered.

This Autumn book arrived this week, a birthday present from a gift card.  I like to use "marketplace" options when I get gift cards from retail giants, so this book came from a used seller in the UK. I generally try to keep to the US, but Waldorf books are sometimes tough to find.  These seasonal books are an interesting glimpse into Waldorf schools in Europe, and the seasonal activities cover a wide range of ages.  This one, in particular, includes third grade shelters!  If I can pull it off, I know Willow will love that.

Well, it's time to make the porridge.  Despite the heat, I was told that cold cereal was boring and it was time to get back to the usual routine!  I'll take it.

Happy Friday!   One last thing--we should have some exciting honey bee activity around here tomorrow.  I hope to be back with photos!