Knits for Autumn

I have been working on some Autumn Knits:  Rye Socks and Barley hats from Tin Can Knit's Simple Collection and a few Milo Vests, Blue one is Tosh DK, and the multi color one and the one on the needles are Malabrigo Rios.  The red Barley hat is Noro Silk Garden and the other Barley hat and Rye socks are discount superwash wool I picked up at a craft store. 

The Little Red Hen

Our Last week of the summer session and in celebration of Lamas, the grain harvest we did The Little Red Hen.   We were treated to a special performance of The Little Red Hen by the younger  grades children and the song "Oats, Beans and Barley Grow" and the older grades children recited harvest poems for us.   On Monday we watercolored yellow wheat. Tuesday we made citrus scented orange play dough suns, and Thursday we stitched little wool hens.

The Little Red Hen

Our Play

Little wool hens stitched by the Playgarden children

Our Sun Bread

Sun Dough scented with citrus oil

The Moon Maiden

Week 4 of Riverlight Cottages Summer Session we heard the story of The Moon Maiden from Wynstones Press "Spindrift".  On Monday we watercolored purple mountains, and Tuesday we modeled mountains and moons with purple play dough we made and on Thursday we wet felted fireflies and made hanging mobiles like featured in our puppet play.

The bamboo cutter's wife told her husband she saw the face of the child she longed for in the moon on top of Mount Fuji. Sure it was just his wife's fancy he followed the silver trail the moon shine down to the top of the mountain.

He found a tiny moon child clad in moonshine, " I am Princess Moonbeam, Lady Moon is my mother. But she sent me to be a comfort for you and your wife. The woodcutter said eagerly, "I will take you home to be our child".

As the years passed by, Princess Moonbeam brought nothing but joy to the woodman and his wife. Lovelier and lovelier she grew. Fair was her face and radiant, her eyes were shinning stars and hair gleamed with moonlight. The prince saw how she lit up her humble cottage and vowed to take her to court.

But she has to return to her mother, Lady Moon, she is happy to return home but she misses everyone she loved on Earth.

She wept silvery tears that took wings and floated away to carry her message of love. Her tears float around the marshes and meadows today, and children happily cry out, "see the fireflies! How beautiful they are!".

We also had a fun day with our Spiral Scouts Circle at Pocahontas State Park.  We went on a scavenger hunt nature walk and spent time learning about reptiles and meeting a few in the nature center. 

My Little Raindrops (the 3-5 year old group at Spiral Scouts)

Mashenka and the Bear

I am a little behind on posts so will update a few week's at once.  Week 3 of our summer session at Riverlight Cottage we heard the story of Mashenka and the Bear.  On Monday we worked on form drawing with straight lines to make pine trees, then we water colored the green forest Mashenka was lost in.  On Tuesday we made blue play dough and modeled Mashenka's blueberry pies she baked and on Thursday we wet felted little baskets like the one Mashenka escaped it, the children did all of the wet felting using the same technique they did to model pies on Tuesday with play dough, then I attached the handles they made and finished up the baskets with a felting needle for them.  On Monday they were given their baskets with little gemstones and crystals in them to take home.

Mashenka and the Bear

Wet felted baskets made my the children

 We also went blueberry picking with our homeschool co-op on Wednesday and made jam, a blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, and blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup.  We enjoyed the book Peter in Blueberry Land the evening before.

Blueberry Picking

Our Haul

We made 12 jars of Jam

And a blueberry pie