Homeschool Portfolios

 

It is time to get the portfolios cleaned out and ready for a new school year. Portfolios are our record keeping method of choice. Keeping samples of projects and papers is perfect for charting progress as well as providing well documented keepsakes. I suggest ordering address labels from a site like Shutterfly. I ordered those shown above when they were running a special and I got one sheet free. Simply choose a template, put in a photograph of your child, add your school name and the year and/or grade. This gives you a set of stickers to label items for your portfolio. If your child does a shoebox diorama, label it with your portfolio sticker. Not only will you have them labeled for display at homeschool fairs, library exhibits, or wherever your homeschool group showcases their work, you will also always have it labeled for your homeschool records. It is amazing how much children change in one school year. I enjoy having the photo on the sticker to go with the project. The children can also use their stickers to decorate notebooks or items they take to homeschool co-op. Of course, these stickers are great for children who attend traditional school as well. What better way to label their belongings and keep track of the artwork that comes home? You can always make these at home with your printer, but when they are on sale, Shutterfly is a good deal and I like the quality.

Enjoy! 

Farmer Boy

As a child, I had an obsession with the Little House books. I read them repeatedly and dreamed of petticoats and covered wagons. We played Little House all the time. When I did my chores, I pretended to be Laura Ingalls. It made the chores much more fun.
When my daughter was younger, we read the Little House books together. I even made her a prairie dress, bonnet, and pinafore. It was over the top cute.
I have a long time love affair with the books. (Though I must admit, my obsession is only with the originals. I have tried, but can't get into the series books that were written later. I am a sucker for the originals only.)
So, it is with great pleasure that I picked up Farmer Boy to be the next read aloud for my son. This is another book that gets high ratings from me to be read during the nine year change. Almanzo begins the book as an eight year old and turns nine right away.  His adventures and struggles are perfect for the third grade Waldorf child and they fit so well into a main lesson about farming.
The detailed descriptions of life in this time are charming and addictive. You find yourself wanting to eat pancakes and make things by hand!
This book is chock full of opportunities to blend in handiwork with literature. From making a tin can lantern to braiding a whip - from making homemade candy to growing a pumpkin - there is no shortage of activities to tie in to the story.
As I write this, we have tin cans in the freezer. We are going to use a hammer and nail to punch designs in the side. You simply wash out a can and fill it with water. Take the label off. Put it in the freezer till it is frozen through. In the meantime, use the can label to cut yourself a piece of paper that will fit around the can. Draw a simple design on the paper. When the water is frozen, tape the paper around the can and use a hammer and nail to poke holes in the can following your design. The ice should keep the can from becoming misshapen. Also poke two holes near the top so you can add wire to make a handle for your lantern. Allow the ice to melt and you have a lovely punched tin can lantern. Add a tea light candle and enjoy!
Farmer Boy is full of opportunity for history, crafts, and life lessons.
I have been delighted to discover that the Little House books can be just as much for boys as for girls. Give it a try!

Making Fairy Houses

Giving Thanks

It has been quite awhile since I have taken the time to add an entry here. These days, my facebook page is quick, easy, and to the point and I have sadly neglected my blog. This past year has been a time of upheavel and challenges with health again. These peg people date back to November, when I spent a long weekend with all of the cousins in North Carolina. From age 2 to age 13, they are eight of the sweetest childen ever (I am not biased at all). We had a great time making crafts, playing outside, and enjoying the special time with cousins only. This is the special time known as, "Camp Nanapapa". I was the special guest program director this year. My son was having some health issues and I needed to attend if he was going to. Nana and Papa gather the cousins for several days of memory making once or twice a year. This year Auntie Laura got to attend as well. Looking back to Thanksgiving - which was a brief weekend of fun in the midst of a difficult time, I am thankful. I really felt the blessing of having a wonderful support system this past year. I am going to spend some time posting snapshots of the past months. I don't want to forget the special times with family and friends that were so encouraging and brought so much joy and thankfulness to my life.

Watercolor Recipe Cards (aka What to do with all that artwork)

My children are prolific artists. They turn out quite a few masterpieces. We hang them on the walls, the refrigerator, and wherever else we can find a space. Here is the latest idea I had on how to use their art in the everyday and preserve it for years to come.

I cut their watercolor paper into half pages and used them for recipe cards! They are lovely and unique and perfect for perking up my kitchen. I am having them laminated. I will punch a hole in the corner and put then on a ring for easy access. I plan to hang them on a hook over my counter. The laminating will ensure they stay safe from splatters and stains.

These wet on wet paintings were done using the method described in Painting with Children by Brunhild Muller.
I always recommend real art supplies for children. A few real supplies and quality paper are better than flaky paint and cheap paper. There really is a big difference. Invest in a few good items and watch the art unfold!

*This would make a great gift for grandparents, etc.!*

Story Stones

My children enjoy playing with natural objects, leaves, stones, acorns, etc. By combining their love for nature and an idea I found on Pinterest, I came up with a great DIY gift for my nieces and nephews. I gathered stones (and since we live in the city, I had to cheat a bit and buy a package of river stones at the Dollar Tree). Then I cut out tiny story characters and objects from paper, fabric, etc. and mod podged them onto the stones. My sister's children are mad about Little House in the Big Woods, so I used an old paperback (don't worry, I have another copy of this title!) to cut out Laura, Mary, Ma, Pa, and Baby Carrie along with a bear, dear, etc. for their set of story stones. They turned out charming. I made a set for traditional stories that included a pot, an old man and woman, farm animals, a gingerbread boy, and other items that would make Stone Soup, The Gingerbread Man, The Old Man and the Old Woman, and Clever Beatrice a possibility. I made simple cut outs of a mouse, cheese, and other Mother Goose items for the youngest, and a set of woodland critters for my own son and his critter-loving cousin. I also made a set with a vintage fabric that included rosy faced children and their pet dog. Finally, I sewed drawstring bags in coordinating fabrics and made gift tags with story and game ideas using the stones. The best game idea I had was to pass the bag around the dinner table or the car and for each person to add to a family story that is made up as you go along. When you take an item out of the bag, you must add something to the story that includes the character or item you drew. This is a variation on the game my siblings and I played so often with my Dad as a child. He used to love to start a story and go from person to person adding adventures. I hope the story stones continue this tradition of family story telling! I took a picture of the traditional tales set and the Little House set for here. I hope you like them!

Of Homemade Dolls and Creative Writing

One of my favorite books as a child was, Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field. The book is an older one, but holding a Newberry medal has assured it a place in the hall of fame for children's literature.
I tried to interest my daughter in the book a couple of years ago, but it didn't seem to take. I think she read a chapter and then put the book down.
I was delighted when she became interested in reading it recently. I am constantly reminded that if we let children come to things in their own time, we will not be disappointed.
She read the book in a relaxed way - curling up with it at night and biting off a chapter or two at a time. She finished the book yesterday. I don't know when I have ever seen this much of a reaction about a book! She loved the story. She is calling it an all time favorite, which is interesting for a child who has devoured Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, etc. (A fantasy child)
Today she pulled out instructions for making a historical doll (from our trip to Williamsburg) and worked all morning on sewing a doll and dress. She has named the doll, Rachel, after Rachel Field. She has also started a story from Rachel's perspective, trying her hand at writing in the style of Hitty. We had our "Monday meeting" this morning and planned some activities for the week - all based around the book. She is very excited and spent most of the afternoon plotting out her story and getting ideas down on paper. I was a little surprised at her level of excitement for Hitty. She is now asking about Heidi and other stories that I loved from my own childhood. Three cheers for Hitty!

Why Handicrafts?

Every year I get out the "school stuff" and start planning the new year. One subject that I always spend a lot of time planning is handicrafts. Why handicrafts? Shouldn't I spend more time on planning mathematics and grammar than all that time spent on handicrafts? My children have spent hours knitting, weaving, embroidering, and making everything from clothing to puppets to house wares and toys. Why all of this crafting?

"Handicrafts, such as knitting and crocheting, are exceptional activities for integrating thoughts, feelings, and actions. They can be tremendously harmonizing and healing if we do them consciously and consistently." (Home Teacher's Process Manual - Oak Meadow)

Making time for crafting with children is a vital part of the learning process in our home. So many skills can be learned easily through the process of handicrafts. Knitting, for example, is an excellent math activity. Many times I have had my daughter knit before a math lesson. It is amazing how it centers the child, gives them focus and attention, and prepares the mind for formal lessons. Handicrafts are a very academic pursuit. Learning about the process of gathering wool, washing it, combing it, spinning it, and weaving it is easily a lesson in Social Studies, History, and Science, as well as handicrafts. Children who see how things are made, where they come from, and how they become what they are, have a much better concept of life. Clothing doesn't come from a store, it is grown, sewn, etc. The academic benefits are only a very small part of the importance of handicrafts. I believe the best part about it is the therapeutic value. We so easily forget that children can get stressed, busy, and over stimulated. Handicrafts offer a way of calming the mind and heart. The repetitive motions, the joy of watching yourself create something new, it is all balm to the soul. If you have never tried handicrafts with your children, give it a chance. One of the easiest ways to start is to purchase the Klutz Kits for children in knitting, pot holder making, or whatever else takes your fancy. The directions are easy even if you are a beginner.
Happy Crafting!

Weaving

My daughter asked for a lap loom for Christmas this past year. She has spent a lot of time immersed in the pleasures of fiber arts. So many skills can be learned from following your interest. Weaving is reading a graph, counting, following a pattern, geometry, fine motor skills, and this is without even mentioning the artistic value. She is playing with color and design, building her attention span, and gaining confidence in her own abilities. She has made many items for our house with her weaving, knitting and sewing in the past few years. Making items that are lovely and functional is a wonderful way to value your children's art.