For the most part, the temperature where we live stays above freezing. But occasionally, it dips below. And when this happens, making ice crafts helps us gain an appreciation for cold weather. Ice OrnamentsThere's no right or wrong way to make these ice ornaments. We used a muffin tray, but you could use any size container. We've used large bowls, ice cream buckets and tin pie plates. Place flower petals, sliced fruits, cranberries, ferns, sprigs of pine - really anything you like, into your chosen container. Fill with water and lay some twine or yarn in to become the handle. Place them outside overnight, and in the morning, pop your ornaments out and hang them around your yard. Ice CandleJust like the ornaments, you can make these in whatever container you have. We used an oven-safe thick glass bowl and a glass vase. We placed the glass vase into the centre of the bowl (to make the space for the candle) and filled it with water to weigh it down. Then we placed sprigs of pine, a fern and cranberries in the bowl and filled the bowl with water. We placed it outside overnight. We had to run some warm water over everything the following day, and then the candle holder popped right out. Ice GlobesFor these, we filled balloons up with water and let them freeze overnight outside. In the morning, we cut the balloon off, drilled a hole in the bottom and added battery-operated lights. Honestly, these are the most beautiful things to light a path with, and they bring so much light and joy to the frozen world outside. Flowers and blossoms are right around the corner, but ice ornaments, candle holders and globes are a lovely way to spruce up the bare trees and bring colour back to your yard until Spring arrives!
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These geometric lanterns are perfect for lantern walks and celebrating the Festival of Compassion. They are a little tricky, so may be better suited for older children, grade 4 and up. Materials
Step 1 Start by painting an 11″x14″ wet-on-wet watercolour painting with a basic colour wash or use a previously painted watercolour painting. Step 2 Print the template and cut out the preferred pentagon size you want to make. Trace the template onto the backside of your watercolour paper 11 times. Include the lines that are at the halfway point of each side. Then cut our all 11 pentagons. Step 3 Fold each point of each pentagon using the lines at the halfway mark along each side as guides. Continue until all the points are folded down on all 11 pentagons. Step 4 Make two rows of five pentagons and set the 11th pentagon aside to be used later as the bottom of the lantern. Open the flaps on the side where the pentagons are touching and glue the flap from the pentagon on one side to the inside of the next pentagon. Turn the pentagon over and glue the flap on the outside down. Make sure to align the creases of the folds. Step 5 Join the ends together by gluing both sides of the end flaps and pressing firmly. Now you have two "bowls." And ours magically turned a different colour at this step, as you can see. There is always magic in the air ;-) Step 6 Attach the "bowls" together by placing the wide ends of the bowls on top of one another. Continue to glue all the flaps together on both sides of each flap until you have a sphere. This step is tricky and difficult to photograph, but it's very intuitive, and we have every faith you can figure it out. Step 7 Glue the final hexagon to one end of your sphere. This is now the base of your lantern. Step 8 Glue down the flaps around the inside edge of the opening of your lantern. Step 9 Place a candle inside and bask in the warm glow of your hard work. If you so desire, you can tie a string at the top to be used as a handle. Optional step After completing your lantern, you can rub a thin layer of olive oil on the outside. This will make your already gorgeous lanterns translucent, which is a neat effect. You did it! Now, you have a stunning geometric work of art to display on your winter nature table or to use in a lantern walk. In this time of turning inward, may you find your light shining brightly and remember that even the tiniest flame can dispel the darkness. Through the darkness, we shall go With our candles all aglow Hearts grow warm, Our way grows bright As we journey through the night.
These beautiful eight-pointed stars are easy to make and it's fun to decorate your windows with them during the winter months. What You Need:
How to Make:Learn how to make beautiful paper star lanterns. These are perfect for your winter nature tables, for a lantern walk, or to decorate your advent spirals. They are also an excellent way to use up watercolour paintings. You can even coat the paper in olive oil and let it dry before folding it into a lantern. The oiled paper creates a beautiful translucent effect when lit up. Remember to never leave your candle unattended. Things You'll Need
How to Make Your LanternFelted Artwork by Mimi Hirsch The Meaning of Martinmas
Throughout the year, Waldorf Education celebrates festivals to connect with the cycle of nature, establish a yearly rhythm for the children, and strengthen the community. The Festival of Compassion (Martinmas) is celebrated around November 11, between Michaelmas - the Festival of Courage's fiery out-breath and the winter holidays' deep in-breath. Universally, it honours St. Martin's story, patron saint of beggars and outcasts, known for his gentleness and ability to bring warmth and light to those in need. He is best known for his kindness toward a poor beggar freezing outside. Martin used his sword to cut his cloak in two and gave one half to the beggar. This act of compassion, which gave the beggar warmth and hope, is why this festival is also called the Festival of Compassion. Waldorf Education celebrates this festival by making lanterns with the children and gathering for an evening Lantern Walk. Each Daily Wonder unit comes complete with three weeks of guided daily curriculum and a 4th week called a Flex Week. Parents can rest assured that the curriculum is covered as planned for each unit during the first three weeks. If parents choose to continue the daily routine with Flex Week, they will continue to cover the curriculum and expand on that with design thinking as well.
The Flex Week project for the Grade 2, Month 7, The Wonder of Reading unit is the completion of a Kindness Quilt. The theme of kindness runs through the stories told during this unit. Stories of kindness are a perfect backdrop for the level of reflection appropriate for the 7 or 8-year-old. It is more developmentally appropriate for a child this age to feel how they feel rather than to think about how they feel. This means it is easier for them to read about kindness and feel how that care feels than for them to bring this into their thinking for analysis. |
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