Winter Solstice

The sun is making its low progress across the sky and the wild world has drawn its energy inward to prepare for a long winter sleep.  Nature reminds us that the shortest day is nearly upon us.  To celebrate, the children prepared a special gift to share, filled with everything you’ll need for some simple solstice merriment.  There is birdseed for the birds and candles to warm the longest night of the year.  Please join us in welcoming Winter with a blessing and a song.

A Song for Winter Birds

The North Wind doth blow

And we shall have snow

And what will the robin do then, poor thing

He’ll sit in the barn

And keep himself warm

And hide his head under his wing, poor thing

The North Wind doth blow

And we shall have snow

And what will the swallow do then, poor thing

Oh did you not know

He’s gone long ago

To a country far warmer than ours.

Wassail Recipe

½ gallon apple cider

46 oz can pineapple juice

46 oz cranberry juice blend

1 orange thinly sliced to look like suns

5 cinnamon sticks

1-2 star anise

A handful of whole, fresh cranberries

Pour apple cider, pineapple juice and cranberry juice into a stockpot.  Place orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and anise into apple cider mixture.  Bring cider to a boil: reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, 15-20 minutes.  Remove orange slices, cranberries and spices before serving. 

Candle Verse

A candle’s but a simple thing,

It starts with just a bit of string,

But dipped or rolled with patient hand,

It gathers wax upon the strand.

Until complete and snowy white,

It gives at last a lovely light.

Life seems so like that bit of string,

Each deed we do a simple thing.

Yet day by day on life’s strand,

We work with patient heart and hand.

It gathers joy, makes dark days bright,

And gives at last a lovely light.

What we know, guess and wonder about Trees

I spent a day with the children investigating what we know about trees and what we want to learn.  It's always a pleasure to sit and listen to their insights, ideas and curiosities.  It also helps me track the children's interests and respond accordingly.  Based on our conversations and some great brainstorming with my colleagues, the studio will look very different after the break!  Make sure to stop by after the first of the year to check it out!

In the meantime, here are a few snippets of dialog and artistry to share:

Squirrels live in a tree.  They sleep inside the tree.     
-Will C.

I wonder how did trees become Christmas trees?  What, where and when was the first Christmas tree?     -Brynn

Well I know trees talk.  They use the wind to carry their words.  Trees have bark and leaves and wind and dirt and birds and bugs. Owls live in trees and squirrels and bugs.  Well... they do have big branches for all of them to live in.     -Paige W.

Trees talk with the wind and light.  I have a friend that is a tree.  It has swings on it and it let’s me swing on it.  It’s in my front yard.  The leaves on a tree fall off in the Fall. When it gets windy the leaves blow off.  In the summer it’s hot and in the fall it’s cold.  When it’s cold the leaves blow off.  When its in the summer the birds come out.  In the winter the birds sleep up high in the tree in their nests.     -Owen W.

I want to learn about birds and nests and eggs.     -Horace

Red birds, like a woodpecker and a cardinal, live in trees.  I wonder if bananas fall out of trees or does someone pick them?     -Piper

Birds live in a tree.  Blue birds live in trees.     -Charlie M.

Trees help us breathe.  Trees help us survive.  I have trees that are changing colors and there are trees that make maple syrup.  I have a pine tree that is really, really big in my front yard.  I look at it...I want to know how long trees live and how tall they grow.  I want to know when mushrooms grow on trees and branches and where else do they grow on trees?  What do mushrooms do for trees?  

What if we made mushroom soup?!!!! And we could have fruit to eat too!  Maybe we could have a special day for our parents and we could tell them what we know about trees and serve them mushroom soup!!!!     -Henry L.

Will had this to say of our Studio tree:

This is a tree that we made but it can’t communicate to the other trees cuz it’s a fake tree but it’s a real LOVE tree.  It feels like a real tree but its actually not.  Real trees communicate with like a smell or something through its roots or leaves.  Like a chemical, yeah there’s some kind of chemical that helps it communicate.  Maybe we could add real live roots so it could talk to other trees.

I just love this tree.  It is a hard and rough tree.  We could make some leaves on it.

As the winter break approaches consider observing the trees in your neighborhood and listening to your child's wisdom and wonder. about our wooded world  And as always I'd love to hear anything you'd like to share!

Toddler Studio Day: Messing about with boxes, ramps and finger paint

What a fabulous day in the studio playing with the Toddlers!!!
As adults we are strangely predisposed to view "messing about" with suspicion and even derision.  All too often we prioritize our ideas of "constructive activity" over free play and "goofing off".  But David Hawkin's points out in his seminal essay, Messing About in Science, just how important messing about truly is to brain development.  It forms the foundation for higher learning.

With this in mind, the children and I spent a day messing about with materials, including:

Ramps...

Constructing...

Coloring...

And painting with our hands.

Feel free to contact me to chat about Messing About ideas for play at home over the long winter break ahead.