Little Acorn Learning

April 2010 Newsletter

April Featured Sponsor
Mothering and Spirituality - Resourcing Feminine Wisdom Conference -
April 24-25, 2010 - Sacramento Waldorf School
 
mothering and spirituality
Little Acorn Learning April Sponsors
 
SimpleKids warmth for childrenthe waldorf connection Bluebird Baby 
warmth for children  rhythm of the home
In This Issue
Featured Sponsor
April Sponsors
Spring Childcare Menu
Advertise with Little Acorn
Caregiver Meditation
Baby Butter Jars
Fingerplay: Two Mother Pigs
Story: Little Water Drops
Interview and Giveaway: Rahima Baldwin Dancy
Make An Indoor Worm Habitat
Join Our Mailing List!
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Spring Childcare Menu
warmth for children
This menu is set up so as to use the daily grains specified by Rudolf Steiner and widely used in Waldorf Kindergartens and homes the world over.
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"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards."
~ Anatole France
 
Children have a natural sense of wonder and curiosity.  As caregivers and teachers, it is our job to awaken their love of learning by being mindful of how we approach each lesson or task. 
 
Take some time to think about how you can awaken the magic in the most ordinary events that take place around you this week. 
 
On a rainy day, listen to the sound of the raindrops that are falling with your child.  During your rush doing errands, stop and observe the wind blowing the trees and make up a story of its journey. 
 
Awaken your senses and notice the magic surrounding your every move.
 
~taken from April 2009 5 Day Guide
Baby Butter Jars
 
Here is a very easy and nice way to make butter with young children. 
 
Supplies Needed:
Small Glass Baby Food Jars
Whipping Cream
Salt
 
Fill the jar a little less than half full with cream.  Add small amount of salt.  Put on the lid and shake, shake, shake for as long as you can until you see a lump of butter in your jar.  Drain any buttermilk out in your jar.  Add some cold water and swish and drain the water until it runs clear.   Use your butter on a piece of homemade bread for snack time!
 
Two Mother Pigs

Two mother pigs lived in a pen,
(two thumbs up)

Each had four babies and that made ten.
(wiggle four fingers on each hand) 
 
These four babies were black and white. 
(wiggle four fingers on one hand)

These four babies were black as night.
(wiggle four fingers on the other hand)

All eight babies loved to play. 
(wiggle eight fingers)

And the rolled and they rolled in the mud all day. 
(roll hands)

At night, with their mother,
They curled up in a heap,
(make fists, palms up)

And squealed and squealed
'Til they went to sleep. 
(tuck thumbs under fingers)
He who plants a tree,
 
He plants love;
Tents of coolness spreading out above

Wayfarers he may not live to see...

And his work his own reward shall be.
 
~ Seventh Poet, Lucy Larcom

 
April Childcare Guide from Little Acorn Learning
 
We are now offering both a 3-day and 5-day program option for your natural learning experience! **The Books will be Emailed to You Within 48 Hours of Your Order!  
Please note that the files are sent to the email address listed in your PayPal Profile.
To enhance this story, use little crystals or glass beads to be your drops of water (keep one larger one as your special Drop of Water).  For example, as they are dancing and singing, use your hand to slide the beads or crystals around your surface.  For your sunbeam, use a pretty yellow silk or handkerchief and drop it gently over your Drops.  When the little Drop awakes be sure to have it lying on a white silk to symbolize your cloud....Continue with this type of illustration using silks and your beads throughout the rest of the story.  A blue silk can be used for the ocean, etc.  Be sure to take a good amount of time preparing and reading the story before presenting it to the children in your group.
 
Little Water Drops
~ C. Scandlin
 waterdrops
There once lived in a rippling river a Drop of cool, clear Water. It had a great many brothers and sisters, for the whole river was made up of Drops of Water like itself; and they used to have merry times, dancing and singing and sparkling along through the green fields, watering the grass and flowers, and making everything fresh and beautiful.
 
One bright Spring morning, after the heat of the sun and the warm April breezes had melted the ice from the banks of the stream, a Sunbeam came dancing out of the sky and lighted right in the middle of the river. As soon as it lighted, all the Drops of Water began laughing and clapping their tiny hands for joy, for the Sunbeams were so bright and happy that all the little Water Drops liked to have them come and play with them.
 
So for a long time they danced and played together very merrily. As the day grew warmer and the great sun rose higher and higher in the sky, the little Sunbeam knew it was time for her to fly away, so she told the little Drop of Water, who had been very busy and kind to its playmates during the morning, that she wanted a little Drop of Water to go away up into the sky with her, for the Gardener who took care of the earth and the flowers wanted some Drops of Water to help Him.
 
The little Drop was very happy at the thought of going away to the bright blue sky with the Sunbeam, so it bade all its friends good-by, and the Sunbeam took it gently in its arms. Away they flew, up, up, up, past the green fields, over the trees and above the church spires, up so high that the little Water Drop thought they must be going straight up to the sun where the Sunbeam lived.
 
After they had traveled on and on for a long time, the little Drop of Water grew so tired and sleepy that its little eyes shut tighter and tighter, till at last it was fast asleep.
 
How long it slept it never knew, but when it awoke it was lying on such a beautiful white, fleecy cloud up in the blue sky, that for a moment it thought it was dreaming.
 
But soon it heard many little voices and a great rushing and laughing, and on looking it saw a whole band of sparkling Water Drops, like itself, hurrying somewhere in a cloud much darker than the one it was on, and as it came nearer they all cried with happy voices,
"Oh! Come with us, little Water Drop, we are having such a nice time."
So the little Water Drop gave a jump when the cloud came near, and was soon in the carriage with the others, which it thought was just the nicest kind of a carriage it had ever heard of-for the carriage was made of a soft, dark cloud, and they had the wind for a horse, and away they went, faster and faster, through the sky, laughing and singing all the way, till all of a sudden they stopped quite near the earth, over a beautiful garden.
 
"Oh, let's jump out," they all cried, as they heard the Birds singing, and saw the Flowers nodding and beckoning for them to come down; so they all began to jump from the cloud; first they went slowly, but soon they went faster and faster, and as they fell they said, "Patter! Patter!" which meant, "How do you do, little flowers and grasses! We have come to give you a drink of water."
 
Well, some of them jumped into lily cups, and some fell among rose-leaves, and some ran away into the ground as fast as they could go. But the Drop which came from the river lay for a moment on the ground, not knowing just where to go. But soon it heard, way down in the ground, a weak voice saying, "I've pushed, and I've pushed, and I've pushed, but the earth is so dry, I can't get up."
 
Then the Drop of Water put its little ear down to the earth and listened, and put its little eye down to the earth and peeped, and then put its little mouth down to the earth and called, just as loudly as it could,
"What's the matter, little Blade of Grass?"
A tiny voice answered,
"There is no one to give me a drink of water, and I am warm and tired, and I cannot push the earth away and get up to the sunlight."
 
So the Drop of Water began giving the Earth a drink and the Earth began to grow moist and to give the Blade of Grass a drink and the Blade of Grass began to lift its tender head slowly, until at last it pushed the earth away and jumped up into the sunlight.
 
Then the Drop of Water went down into a dark crack in the ground, for it wanted to help other grass blades or seeds to grow, and it rolled on and on, all the time giving so cheerfully that wherever it went it made everything happy.
 
At last it found, away down under the ground, a great many Drops of Water that were hurrying toward the sea; so they traveled on together many days, growing larger and larger as other drops joined them, till they again reached the sunshine and became a great river, flowing by large cities, turning mill-wheels and carrying ships safely onward.
 
After a very long journey, they entered the ocean, where the little Drop of Water found all the brothers and sisters it had left way back among the green fields before it went into the sky with the Sunbeam, for they too had been busy all the time in giving to make others happy.
 
They were so glad to meet again that they all had a very merry time; and they danced and sang until the sun set and the stars came out to tell the Drops of Water, as they do the little children, that it was time to go to sleep; so they wrapped their arms around each other, put on their white nightcaps and were soon far away in dreamland.
Rahima
 
Interview and Giveaway with Author, Teacher and Childbirth Activist, Rahima Baldwin Dancy
 
I am so very excited to introduce Rahima Baldwin Dancy in this one-on-one interview with Little Acorn Learning. Rahima is a pioneer in the Waldorf Educational movement in the United States and such an inspiration to me as well as many other mothers, fathers and teachers.
 
Rahima has graciously offered $50 Off her upcoming Conference or a DVD of your choice from www.waldorfinthehome.com - the winner will be randomly selected from our comment section by next Friday, April 9th. Be sure to check back on our blog often to see results! 
Read the interview >HERE<
 
Indoor Worm Habitat
 
Supplies Needed:
Gravel or Pebbles
Fish Tank or Large Clear Container
Potting Soil
Dry Leaves
Earthworms (from outside - have fun digging!) 
 
earthworm 
Fill base of container with gravel.  Have children help you add a mix of potting soil and dry leaves to top.  Gently add your earthworms to your container.  Have children chart the earthworms' habits over the next few days.  Add a bit of water to the container and have the children watch the earthworms migrate toward the water.  Be sure not to keep them very long, just long enough to learn and then gently place them back outside where they belong. 
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