SPRING SHARE

After decades working with children, we’ve accumulated a wealth of verses, games, songs and seasonal crafts and recipes. Here are a few that are nice during springtime.

 

Spring Verse

Connect with Nature Activities

GO ON A NATURE TEXTURE HUNT

How many different textures can you find in nature?

• fuzzy
• prickly
• slimy
• soft
• smooth
• rough
• squishy
• sticky
• crunchy

More Nature Scavenger Hunt Ideas

 

In the Heart of a Seed

In the heart of a seed, 
Buried deep, so deep, 
A dear little plant
Lay fast asleep. 
“Wake!” said the sunshine, 
“And creep to the light.”
“Wake!” said the voice
Of the raindrops bright. 
The little plant heard;
And it rose to see
What the wonderful 
Outside world might be.

Make Alder Tree Ink and A Dip Pin

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RED ALDER TREE INK

• Alder “Cones” (Those plucked from tree are best as those on the ground may have microscopic mold or fungi starting)
• A Saucepan with enough water to cover your cones
• Coffee Filter or Muslin cloth or Cheesecloth
• Small, clean jar with lid (sterilize in boiling water if keeping ink more than a day)
• Gum Arabic (cloves can work as an alternate)
• Paint brushes 
• Paper to paint on
• Dip pen (optional) homemade or purchased

HOW TO CREATE RED ALDER TREE INK

1. Place enough cones in pan to cover the pan bottom (can add more than this if desired)
2. Add enough water to cover the cones in the pan.
3. Using low heat, gently simmer for an hour.
4. after an hour, check your ink color by using a dip strip of what’s painting paper. Is it the color you want? Then remove from heat. Would you like it darker? Keep simmering until you are happy with the color
5. Remove from heat and let cool
6. Strain liquid through coffee filter, cheesecloth or other muslin fabric into your clean jar. 
7. Optional: Add 1 tsp gum Arabic to your ink to help ink adhere to paper and help preserve ink.
8. Optional: Add 2-3 whole cloves to your ink to help preserve it
9. Use brushes to paint or dip pen to write! 

YOU JUST MADE A BOTANICAL INK!

 

Photo Credit Kelly Sikkema  

 

What about that dip pen? Whittle the tip of any stick that will hold up to writing pressure or how about an actual large feather with thick quill? What else can you find in nature that you could use as a dip pen? Add some texture from flowers, trees, shrubs or grasses to the end for a nature inspired paint brush. 

Woodland Trust

Woodland Trust Website & Blog

Lovely website that offers many fun family activities with sticks. Yes sticks! Build a woodland Den, Take in the Bird Nest Challenge, Find and personalize a Journey Stick, Make a Wind Chime, Build and use your own loom, Try the Twig Tower or learn to whittle. You can even make a bug hotel,

These are just a few of the activities you can do outside with your children.  

A SPRING STORY

The Little Seed

A STORY BY ANANDA ELUF • BRAZIL

THERE WAS ONCE A LITTLE SEED that fell from a boy’s hand. The little seed looked upon the earth and saw so many beautiful things that she began to feel sad that she was only a very little seed. She longed to be like the cherries hanging above her or a sweet and juicy orange and not just a little seed.

She looked up at the sky and saw a flock of birds flying and playing in the sky, turning somersaults in the air, and she imagined how good it would be to be a bird, to have wings, to FLY! But she was only a very small seed.

She looked to one side and saw a lovely rose.“How full of life it is! I would like to be like that—so bright!” But she was just a very small seed. She was tired of being such a small seed, so small that no one even saw her.

She looked to the other side and saw a blue butterfly. It had such light, airy wings with such beautiful designs, and she thought, “I would also like to be a butterfly, or at least to have such special wings. . . then everyone would see me!” But it would be strange for a little seed to have wings. . .

And she became sad, and sadder and sadder—so sad that she began to sink down and down. And she sank into the earth. She felt good down in the warm earth. It rained. And it was sunny.
And suddenly a little green shoot came up out of the earth.

More rain. And more sun.
And the shoot began to grow! She felt very happy to know that a little seed could change into a lovely little plant!

More rain. And more sun.
She continued to grow and to grow, until one day she looked at herself and saw that she was now a beautiful tree covered with delicious cherries.

All the birds flew to her and settled in her branches to sing and to make their nests. The most beautiful butterflies came and danced around her leaves.

The animals of the fields and woods came to sleep in her cool shade, but she was happiest when the boys and girls climbed her branches to gather cherries and took them home to eat.

A little boy climbed the tree. He picked a cherry and he ate it. And a little seed fell from his hand. ..

 

 SPRING RECIPES

• No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream: Roasting the strawberries until they are jammy is the secret to this rich ice cream you can make without an ice cream maker.
• Almond and Strawberry Tart: Juicy ripe strawberries make a refreshing topping for this rich, buttery tart from London's The River Café. 
• Old Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp: With over 2,700 perfect, 5 star ratings, this is one you have to try! This Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp has a generous crumbly oat topping to complement the tangy filling. Serve it warm with ice cream.

 

A Little Seed Verse & Fingerplay

—by Mabel Watts

 A little seed for me to sow.
(Pretend to hold a tiny seed in your hands.)
A little earth to make it grow.
(Bend over and touch the ground.)
A little hole, A little pat.
(Pretend to dig a hole in your palm or the air; pretend to plant the seed; pat earth over seed.)
A little wish, And that is that.
(Close eyes and touch head; open eyes and bring arms in front of chest, criss cross)
A little sun, A little shower.
(Raise sun with hands opening; use fingers to create rain.)
A little while, And then --- a flower!
(Pretend to sleep; grow a flower with hands)

 

 

CITIZEN SCIENCE 🔭 🌧️ 🌻 🐝 

Need a little real world science in your life for you and your children? 

• I See Change: Be a Climate Scientist in Your Community and Document Weather and Climate Where You Live
• Go-Sea: Families collect sightings of marine floating surface life and upload to iNaturalist for study.
• The Great Sunflower Project: Learn more about the Great Sunflower Project. Watch this video to learn more. 
• Find more citizen science projects like these for kids and grownups of all ages at scistarter.org

RESOURCES WE ARE LOVING RIGHT NOW

Louis' Farm

 Louis' Farm is a nature inspired magazine for children 3 to 11 from France (English version available in our shop for a special price of $12.50.

Louis' Farm Front Cover, Spring 2023 Issue by Matthew Thurber and Elodie Rabilloud

 

Waldorf Handwork

Waldorf Handwork website: Find online courses teaching different Waldorf Handwork projects for different ages

 

Waldorf Teacher Resources

Waldorf Teacher Resources: While created for Waldorf teachers, this 501c non-profit website has a plethora of free information too for anyone with children between 1st and 8th grades. Find resources for form drawing, circle time, music, movement, language, black board drawings, play, painting and stories, as well as resources for academic subjects and professional and blog articles about learning and child development. If you are a classroom teacher, register for even more resources. 

Photo from Waldorf Teacher Resources, Creative Commons by sa-nc License

 
Collected by Laura Lowe

Laura is a professional educator with degrees in Environmental Science, as well as Education, with decades of experience working with children and the environment. She’s also a mom to three daughters and six grandchildren under the age of seven. She enjoys every second she can spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren. 

More about Laura and Alder and Alouette, here.