Earthways

A month into our school year, things are becoming more clear to me.  Willow and Roan are in the midst of their second and third blocks, respectively.  Roan spent a week on Autumn nature stories from the Enki materials, instead of sprinkling them through the year, as we have done in the past.  I'd like to write more about the Enki materials and their comparison to other curriculum options, but I'll save that for its own post.

Right now, I'd like to offer my thoughts on the Earthways book by Carol Petrash, and how it has tied into our schooling over the years.  I can see how this book must have inspired the Enki creators in their work, and I think we'll come return to it time and again.  As crafty as I am, I'll admit that I do a lot of the crafting while the children look on.  It's time to shift that!

The author spends considerable time on ideas for greening your home or classroom, on reusable versus disposable, and the like.  I'd call it a Waldorf kindergarten craft book with an environmental slant.  Mainly, it is helpful if you are looking for themed activities to cover a whole month of weekly work.  There are sections on wheat, berries, beeswax, butter, wool, indoor and outdoor play spaces, and so on.  If you've read the festivals books from Hawthorn Press, some of the ideas inside will seem familiar.  I believe I've seen dozens of instructions for lanterns across my home library, though we often make the same kind each year.  I feel ready to branch out a little this time. 

The section on corn is an interesting one, and echoes some of the activities suggested by the Enki crafts guides.  A new one for me was grating corn cobs.  You begin by having the children remove the dried kernels, then they string them (which is quite challenging!), and then you can let them grate the cobs together.  It makes a colorful kind of "meal" that the children love to play with, even if it is a little messy.  It's a mess that I think is one of the better kinds. ;-) We've done this with an old cob and I think we'll do it again soon.  Laurel really enjoyed it.

Enki suggests this kind of candle holder for children to give as holiday gifts.  We've never made one, but I've recently gotten a big hand drill, so I'm feel more optimistic.  Our town also has a steady supply of smaller candles now, much to my delight (an herb store!).  I think of this as a thing to make each year, but still worth the special effort.  We shall see.

I guess what I am getting at is that there are SO many ideas out there for children and nature crafts.  If you're looking for a simplified list or book, this one is it.  I think the skill range can be fairly wide for a home setting or a mixed age class.  Nothing is really too difficult or requiring special equipment, unless you are intending to grind grain (they suggest a coffee mill).  I've bought numerous books along this vein and I'll weigh in on a few others later on.

Well, it's nature school day and nutting is in the plans.  Maybe a little wood splitting, too?  We shall see.  Happy Thursday!