Learning all the time

Oh it has been so long since I've posted.  Life is just too busy for me to figure out my photo uploading issue.  I'll most likely start a new blog in the fall and start over fresh...

This post is more for myself and anyone else with young children who sometimes feel they should be 'doing' more with their kids.  You may not agree and that is okay.

So today I had the feeling that I just wasn't doing enough with my boys.  You see my boys are 3 and 5. We are a Waldorf inspired homeschooling family.  I also have a home daycare.  On a given day there are anywhere between 2-5 other children joining us. So today was one of my slower days with just 2 babies and my boys.  I guess the "quiet" got me thinking, worrying...

I decided to write down all the things we did and learned today.  It is not well organized but here you go:

Nature study: watching worms and moving them safetly off the path in the forrest.
Playing in mud, learning about the suction power of a good mud puddle. Enjoying a beautiful rainy walk.  Observing and wondering who was eating our rhubarb leaves.  Checking on our vegetable gardens.

Science:
observing puddles, how a moving bicycle wheel can make the water move and spray

Physical Education: Walking, rope swing, bicycles, trampoline, running, carrying loads. These were the more active activities.  We also played in the sand box, drive the ride-on tractor all over the place, played with fine motor toys at the Early Years Centre.

Math: Counting along with songs, TJ counted all the eggs and discovered how many were left after he made his snack, made up more math problems with the eggs. MJ tried counting numbers on the clock.  At the Early Years Centre the boys sorted all the coloured bears into bowls, TJ also completed several pattern cards using coloured bugs on his own.

Child care: how to play safetly with babies, learned about separation anxiety and how to help a baby deal with that, comfort them.

Faith: awesome prayers and thanksgiving today

Art: The boys sat for ages and made collages completely on their own,  playdough, painting

Language: read lots of stories, made up oral stories, retelling of events in TV show, singing

Mechanics: learned about sawmills (Might Machines) and retold lots of details, 'helped; daddy fix his motercycle.

Home economics: boys loaded and sorted laundry, TJ thought up to sweep the kitchen on his own to keep down the mess, TJ washed windows outside with the car snow brush.  They helped to pick out food at the grocery store.  TJ decided what to make for his snack and completely made his own scrambled eggs.  He also helped prepare dinner too.

Imaginative play: TJ spent his entire time at the Early Years Centre dressed as a giant caterpillar!  The boys played tractors and trains.  Their dog toys dressed up in rain coats to play outside.  Their special bed friends came along and 'talked' all day with us.

Social skills: greeting daycare parents, navigating the day with children of various ages, communicating well with volunteers at the Early Years Centre, sharing, problem solving, resolving conflicts and apologizing.

Oh I'm sure there was so much more going on today that I didn't pick up on.  Every day I am amazed and overwhelmed by something my children are doing.  I am so blessed to spend my time with them and their friends.  We have a lot of fun together and they have helped me to grow personally so much.  We are also very blessed to live in our natural location too.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring...

Week 4: Fighting Dragons

This week has been so much fun!  My knights learned to protect and help others, along with fighting monsters and dragons!

On Monday my niece joined us along with our daycare children.  We had a great time during circle time as TJ thought we should all dress up.  As my fairies danced about and sang we learned of a dragon in Super Sam's forrest. We then decided to be knights with capes and go fight the dragon in the playroom.  We put out his fires with play silks, which then turned into a river.  Some animals and toys needed rescuing so the children built bridges to help them cross.  Next we used the blocks to build castles for the dragon and some fairies.  I gave them some prompts to get their imaginations going and we had a lot of fun.  Sorry no photos as many of the daycare children in in the shots.  In the afternoon hockey was the name of the game.  MJ and E (my niece) were so cute playing together.

Hockey with cousin E, Our September nature table

Tuesday we went to Frootogo a local apple orchard.  We went there to meet friends and cousin E again. Playing on all the toys is always fun, along with feeding the animals.  All the kids were a big help with picking the apples.  We've already eaten most of our (no apple sauce this week).  In the afternoon we made swords.  MJ was scared of some monsters while pretending to have a nap, so fearless TJ came to the rescue and we fought imaginary monsters in every room of the house. (So cute and so much fun!)

Frootogo and fighting monsters

On Wednesday we baked gingerbread cookies.  Our dragon helped use his fire for good and baked the cookies for us.  TJ actually got our little plastic dragon and had him blow on each batch of cookies before I put them in the oven.  I wasn't too sure how to keep the little ones busy while we baked today so I got out some red kidney beans that we are never going to get around to eating.  Oh my the mess and fun.  It kept them all busy and happy.  I have come a long way with accepting and handling mess!  We used some healthier decorating toppings as it's all I had on hand.  I love that we made some Super Sam's, dragons, a turtle and fall cookies along with some other fun shapes.

Playing with beans and making gingerbread cookies

Wednesday afternoon the children made shields to go with their swords.  We played knights outside this time and had a great day. The kids were interacting more with each other.

Decorating cookies and making shields

On Thursday we went to run an errand near the park by my mom's house. TJ went off to explore the forrest while I played in the playground with the others.  It was chilly that day.  MJ also rode on his little motorized toy for the first time.  He is usually terrified of these things but when daddy put in a very small slow battery, he finally decided to get on.

Exploring the forrest, riding toys and blow kisses!

Thusday afternoon is our sensory day.  I tried putting different coloured paint in plastic bags for the kids to mush and mix.  I think I put in too much and the bags weren't very good quality.  We also experimented with cookie cutters and our hands.

No-mess paint in bags (make sure the bags don't rip)

Friday was another busy day.  Early in the morning I started taking the papers of old cheep crayons.  Both boys woke early too.  TJ was an amazing help and chopped most of the crayons up.  He is getting good with a knife.

Chopping crayons and visiting farm

Once all our friends joined us we went to visit a farm belonging to one of our daycare children's grand parents.  Of course he had a wonderful time with grandma.  We loved looking at the pumpkins and visiting the animals.  Inside the store we had a treat and Auntie Bonnie and I bought lots of veggies.  We'll be going back there soon.

Visiting animals at the farm

Later Friday afternoon each child got to make their own crayons but filling up a mini muffin try with different colours of crayon bits.  We put them in the oven at 350 for about 15min or until they just melt (I left ours in a bit long each time). When they were cool to touch I put them in the freezer for a while.  The crayons worked okay.  The top half is just wax and the colour is only at the bottom.  The kids had fun trying them out.

Using the new crayon we made

Next week is a new month. Wow 4 weeks of 'school' already! I am trying out an idea of new circle songs this month. We are also going to be getting ready for a harvest party at the end of the month.  Hope you'll join us for more updates.

I'll be linking up during the week:

Happy Family Times 
Waldorf Wednesdays
MOB Society

More summer activities for kids!

Wow I just realized that my last post with the giveaway was my 200th post!!!

Congratulations to Jessica Lynette Morris I'll be contacting you to choose your sock monster.

For those of you who haven't noticed my blog posts have been few and far between recently.  This is because I have been busy with house renos and living life with my kiddies.  I am making a focused effort to be more present and so I will be on the computer a little less.  But I will continue to share with you often.

Here are some more fun things we have been doing recently.

Rice sensory bin (the loader is helping to clean up spills)

Bubbles with friends

We made more fairies because you can never have enough

We went to the beach (Hamilton harbour)

A neighbour was moving and gave us a big roll of paper!  So much fun to colour on

Homemade playdough and craft bits (these are cake pops they made)

Homemade playdough 'desserts'

Mud bakery (so simple yet so fun)

Making muffins with mud

A fun lobster apple snack we made (I used a pear and apple)

TJ dressing up.  The amazing skirt we won from Beneath the Rowan Tree (amazing items there)

How is your summer going??

Petal Skirt

I was sorting through a box of material and came across a stack of organza like material.

I knew I wanted to make a dress-up skirt out of them.  I decided to make petal shapes so we could be flowers or something.

I simply cut out a lot of petals and overlapped them a little.  I made 2 strips of petals that were layered and sewn together.  Next I found some wide elastic and sewed the petals on.

I still have enough material to make a blue/white one.

What dress up clothes are your kids' favourites?

Flower Crown

I got this idea from Elsie Marley

Here is how I made mine:
1. To make the flowers I went to Felt-o-rama and looked at some of the links for different flowers.  I got the basic idea of what to do and made a few of my own.
2. To make the crown I used a glue gun to attach the flowers to a 12inch x 2inch strip of stiff felt.
3. I cut a piece of fabric about 12 inches x 4 inches (approximately) and sewed a tube.
4. Cut a wide piece of elastic about 7 to 8 inches long.  Measure your child's head and make sure that the crown and the elastic will go all the war around.  Feed the elastic into the fabric and secure.
5. Glue or sew the elastic to the ends of the crown
6. Enjoy watching your little one play!

Now if I could just get one of the boys to stop moving long enough to get a good photo.