Seed and Bean Mosaics

This activity comes from my February guide. This week's themes are Seeds & Self-Reflection.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Tonight I will take the girls to church to get their ashes.

In medieval times, Lent was a time of little food left over from the winter months. It was a time of fasting (no meat or dairy products at all for the duration of the 40 days before Easter) and a time of the first sowing of spring. This is a perfect time for us to talk about the seeds and beans that we keep dry in our pantry as well as the seeds we will soon plant in our garden. Poor Maia is not in this photo as she has had a horrible fever for a few days and was sleeping it off.

For Lent, Keira and Maia are giving up gum - Mommy is giving up sweets and Dee is giving up complaining (nice!). We are still waiting to hear what daddy is going to give up... and we are all hoping Brianna will give up SCREAMING!!!

Seed and Bean Mosaics

Supplies Needed:
White Cardstock
Dry Seeds from Various Sources
Dry Beans and Pasta
Glue

For younger children, spread glue on paper and allow them to arrange seeds, beans and pasta to create their mosaic. Older children can draw their own design first, add glue to small areas of the design and choose which seeds, beans or pasta pieces to add to fill up the mosaic. Let dry and add to your nature space or send home with daycare children.

March 2009 Childcare Guide

Now Accepting ORDERS for Our March 2009 Guide

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Please note that the files are sent to the email address listed in your PayPal Profile.

Week One, March

Fairies, Fostering Trust

Week Two, March

Music & Sounds, Listening

Week Three, March

Shamrocks, Luck

Week Four, March

Rainbows, Creating Color

This Month's Guide is Four Full Weeks, Five Days Per Week!!!

The Little Acorn Daily Guide is FREE with Your Subscription (sold for $10.50 separately!).

Interview with Little Acorn

Erin Goodman over at exhale. return to center was so kind to ask me to do an interview to put on her blog. I thought I would share it with the rest of you. In return, I offered one random reader a copy of my March Childcare Guide which I am working so hard to finish this week!

Thanks so much, Erin!
xoxo

Sixth Folder, Sixth Picture

Julie at Natural Playgarden tagged me in a game. The rules are this: You take your sixth folder of pictures and you choose the sixth photo in there. Post it and write something.

This photo was one of a few I took on this day when I wrote about setting up scenes for children. I haven't taken the time to do this is such a long time for the girls... I know what I'll be doing tomorrow morning ;)...

Now I tag:

Marianne

Kat

Kara

Anthromama

Jackie

Wendy

Hearts, Spreading Love

Celebrating Valentine's Day at Little Acorn...

Welcome door :)

This week's blackboard drawing.

The children working hard to make pink play dough...

Pouring...

Swirling...

Patting..

Focusing...

Thinking about those we love :)

And things we love...

Enjoying our time together in the very moment we are in. Without looking ahead or behind...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Homemade Play Dough

Supplies Needed:
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
4 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar (can get at grocery store)
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
1 Cup Salt
Few Drops of Red or Pink Food Coloring
2 Cups Boiling Water

Put all ingredients into large bowl except for boiling water. Pour boiling water over the mixture and stir it up with a large spoon. Sprinkle your surface with flour and lift warm dough out of your bowl and knead until texture is right. Play dough can be stored in an air tight container.
Enjoy!

Outdoor Play on a Windy Day

Our Little Acorn Crew today:

Keira checking out our garden area - there are a few small carrots that didnt grow much all around the ground:

Keira and Maia:

Brianna

So chilly and windy today:

Ryder

Flying like the wind:

They napped hard afterwards! Later we'll deal with the muddy shoes!

Clay Candle Holders

From my February 2009 Guide:

Supplies Needed:
Self Hardening Clay
Natural Materials for Decorating (pine needles, small stones, beads, shells, etc.)

Today shape clay candle holders with the children. Be sure to make a hole for the candle to fit into. You can use the beeswax candles you made this week to press down into the clay to get the correct size. Press natural materials into the clay to decorate. Leave until it hardens. This candle can be used for your blessing time with the children.

Candlemas Celebration

To celebrate Candlemas each child picked his or her own color of beeswax to make candles. Maia chose pink, Bree chose orange and Ryder picked blue...

We put a wick at the end of our sheet of wax and carefully rolled our candles...

Even the little ones can roll with help from an adult..

Then we worked on Valentine paper candles using recycled toilet paper rolls...

You can see our blackboard drawing for the week here as well...

Today the schools had an early dismissal due to snow... we were sure to get outside and enjoy it before the older kids got home!
Stoli too, of course...

Maia's entire outside time was spent exploring ice... check out this big piece!

Look at the snow falling! I love it!

Bree was trying to touch the snowflakes...

When we came back inside we ate a yummy lunch and cleaned up for nap time. During nap time the older girls came home from school and they played in the snow and had a cup of hot cocoa.

Fun times!