At Rainbow Bridge we always scheduled our “Winter Festival” on the last day before winter break. We would invite all the parents to come from 11:30-12:30 and take their children home with them—no afternoon care that day because it’s so hard for children to have parents come and go without taking them home. Because […]
A Winter Festival Celebrating Community, by Rahima Dancy Read More »
(Note: this article is re-printed with permission from the blog Joyful Toddlers. The original article can be viewed here.) Dear Miss Faith, My little guy is starting daycare and while I’m sure that it will be a wonderful, loving place for him, I am dreading dropping him off and saying goodbye. We have had a
Starting Daycare and Saying Goodbye Read More »
Here is a little autumn story poem for autumn harvest days. I make apple finger puppets to help make this visual. Just draw a small fingertip size apple – cut 2 out with red felt, add a brown stem and green leaf…easy! Sew around it, leaving room for your finger at the bottom. This one
Autumn Story Poem (with Finger Puppets!) Read More »
In September, we celebrate the festival of Michaelmas, with Michael the archangel and his expulsion of Lucifer from Heaven. We often tell the story of St. George slaying the dragon and saving Princess Una and the rest of the village, for St. George is the earthly representation of Michael. On the blog this month, we
Celebrating the Jewish High Holidays of September, by Mara Spiropoulos and Maya Levanon Read More »
At Spindlewood we always begin the year with a Family Work Party. It’s a bit of a Parent-Child Morning Garden, with work projects, and an opportunity to observe the children out of the corner of our eyes as they imitate our meaningful and cooperative activity. Yes, I always feel that I am asking too much
Family Work Day to Start the School Year Read More »
I’d like to share with you something I learned last Fall. It was mid-September, and there was a new little boy in the room, one of many. This boy however, rather than bond with all the teachers equally, bonded exclusively with me. I must admit, it made me feel special. I alone had the power
Helping a New Child, Then Stepping Back Read More »
Because young children love stories, and magic, and anticipation, it can be especially enriching for children if we add those three aspects to any project that we do with them. Let’s take the idea of making Apple Crisp: it can be done in half a morning. Simply chop up some apples, stir in some cinnamon
The Art of Apples in the Fall Read More »
The infant is born out of the powerful surrounding rhythms, warmth, and security of the maternal sea, into a jarring world of light, air and unprotected sensory input. She is now totally dependant upon the love, consciousness, and responsiveness of her caregivers. In the days, weeks and months that follow, the baby will have to
Children love the jolly jack-o-lanterns, but at Spindlewood we like to keep our pumpkins alive all year round, beginning with hunting for them in the overgrown summer garden. Then we keep one to stand guard until the frost on the pumpkin finally renders it food for the sheep and chickens. We save some
Pumpkins All Year Round! Read More »
By Lisa Boisvert Mackensie “There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.”- Elizabeth Lawrence The young child is still very much in a state of at-one-with-the-world, completely open to receiving sense impressions from the world. A garden provides
Gardening with Small Children: A World of Wonder and Rhythmic Impression Read More »
