2. Yes, it's not your own dog's poop, but pick it up anyways if you see it on your walk.
3. Ditch the paper towels, use a cloth instead.
4. Refuse the plastic straw and carry your own reuse-able ones.
5. Donate old clothing and household items to your local thrift stores, free stores or shelters.
6. Buy local, support local businesses and cut down on environmental shipping costs.
7. Choose sustainable products.
8. Grow a garden, even just one pot with a plant on your window sill if you don't have a yard.

More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. For more information, visit www.earthday.org

The Easter Bunny
A charming, simple story about how the Easter Bunny learned how to deliver eggs. http://happywhimsicalhearts.com/2016/03/easter-bunny-rabbits/ This website has really great resources on further ways to celebrate the seasons, ways to bring Waldorf into the home, etc.

Egg Dying 
Natural dyed eggs are usually a 2 day project. To prepare, collect leaves and flowers, and secure them to the eggs using panty hose or cheese cloth (they work best when freshly picked, as maleable and moist sticks best to the eggs). After they have sat in the dye, the wrapping is removed revealing the beautiful stamp of the chosen flower or leaf.

If you're not so keen on the chemicals in store-bought Easter egg dye, try these nine all-natural options. Each features a colouring agent — a vegetable, fruit juice, or spice — that gives colour to hard-boiled eggs.

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the Hebrews' liberation from slavery by the great prophet Moses. Moses would not have survived to free his people, had it not been for the cleverness of his sister Miriam. She set him in a basket on the river Nile, and watched over him until the Pharaoh's daughter found him and took him home to be her own son. 

In this way, Moses survived the dangerous times in Egypt, and grew up with a deep compassion for the Jewish people. In his adult years, he fulfilled his destiny to guide the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt, to form a covenant with God through the Ten Commandments. 

Miriam, perhaps the only woman in the bible, who is not referred to as someone's mother or daughter, has, in more recent times, taken a place of honour at the Passover Seder. As Jewish celebrations and rituals become modernized to fit our new levels of awareness, we turn to the women of the Bible stories, choosing to elevate them to places of importance. In modern Jewish rituals, when the Seder, or religious dinner ritual takes place, many families choose to include Miriam as one of the sacred guests. A cup is filled with water, in her honour, and songs and stories are shared to celebrate her strengths. 

What a wonderful time we live in, where we can honour the importance of the feminine, and include it in a ritual that was formed thousands of years ago. 

Here are some ways you can learn more about Miriam and celebrate her as well.

Sing Miriam's Song
A beautiful song depicting the spirit of women now and in ancient days.  Here are the lyrics so you can sing along:​

We are now experiencing some days that bring a subtle breeze telling us that we have turned a corner and spring is approaching. 

We can feel joyful feelings awakening within us, feelings that bring a hope that naturally comes with rebirth. 

We are reminded of our resilience, the inner strength that we have to carry our souls inwardly through the dark months. We are always being, and always becoming. Each moment necessarily creates the next, and we are creating a dance with the world. The joy of spring is a joy that unites our souls with the world. We, together, feel hope, faith and comfort in the return of the light.
 
How do you experience the approaching spring in your soul life?

The following inspiration is taken from: Weekly Meditations-Rudolf Steiner's Calendar of the Soul Intentions by Patsy Scala
The joy of becoming arises
Out of the world's womb,
Quickening the senses' brilliance
Mat it find my force of thinking,
Fortified by the divine powers
Living powerfully within me.

Intention: This week, I will feel within my soul the burgeoning joy of knowing that rebirth is possible at any stage of my life, and I will allow my soul to dance with the becoming of the seasons. I will experience the inner optimism that this brings.

Here is a little snippet from the overview of the Daily Wonder Greek Mythology unit.

The Year 5, Month 7 unit, The Wonder of Greek Mythology, offers wonderful "soul food" for Grade 5 children. The myths of the Greek gods and goddesses offer rich characters and drama. Studying the Greek myths also allows children to see how deeply these myths are embedded in our culture and are often referenced in our arts and entertainment.  It is deeply nourishing and educational when children understand the roots of Ancient Greece and Greek Mythology, and therefore have a deeper connection when references are made in modern comics, television and movie culture. This unit also provides an opportunity to learn about Greece's geography, the Greek alphabet, the Olympics, the Greek connection to the English language, poetic odes and hexameter, grammar and writing development, and artistic work. 

The Grade Five student is considered at the "Golden Age" of childhood. They are balancing at this moment between childhood and puberty. There is grace, capability, and earnestness in this balance between two worlds. There was a time in Ancient Greece's history that was known as the "Golden Age'. Humanity was standing, poised and balanced between a dreamy child-like consciousness and a wakeful, intellectually capable consciousness. At this meeting point, the Greeks emerged as the ultimate example of grace, beauty, athletic ability, and intellectual and philosophical thought. The fact that the work produced thousands of years ago is still so highly esteemed is a tribute to the achieved greatness. Grade 5 children, standing in their Golden Age, must be inspired by greatness of such a high calibre. They must feel the call to their best work and their best effort. It will be through their artistic endeavours, their poetic writing and recitation, and their athletic efforts that they will feel their power, grace and inner beauty shining forward. This time in their life and the depth of their abilities provide them with a deep feeling of confidence and trust that will carry them into puberty and beyond. 

Questions to ask before the unit begins: What is my connection to Greek Mythology? What do I hope to gain from bringing this unit to my child? What do I hope that my child gains? 
 
Questions to ask at the end of the unit: What new connections did I make with this material? What wonder did I discover about Greek Mythology and its influence that still exists today? How did my child receive these lessons? What wonder was inspired? 

Ohhh! The long and drawn out days of winter!!  

We've got this! You've got this! 

Haven't we done this so many times before? Made it through the darkness of winter?! Yet, why does it feel so difficult at times? 

When nature is sleeping, it is like a death on the earth. Without the glory of nature to lift our Spirits, we must each do it for ourselves, and for each other. 

It is actually exactly what is being asked of us each year, at this time. That we recognize how powerful we truly are. Even though all of nature is deeply asleep, we humans are soulfully wide awake. We are learning, reflecting, remembering, thinking, feeling, creating, connecting and loving. 

We are truly amazing beings!!

The following inspiration is taken from: Weekly Meditations-Rudolf Steiner's Calendar of the Soul Intentions by Patsy Scala
The world threatens to numb
My soul’s inherent powers.
Therefore, step forth memory,
Shining from depths of spirit,
Strengthen my vision
That only by strength of will
Is able to sustain itself.

Intention: This week, when I feel the tiredness of too much winter, I will remember that, within this winter, I am the one, through my inner spirit, who supplies the warmth and the light that sustain me.

Give Energy to the Things that are Going Right

Do you have more than one child? Do your children have typical sibling arguments? How do you handle it?

Next time you notice a beautiful and peaceful lull between these arguments, be sure to make a point of noticing the absence of conflict. You might simply say," I appreciate that you are not calling your sister names, or bothering her right now." 

Give energy and honor to the positive things in your life. 

What are some positive things you have noticed your children doing lately?

Recognizing Our Own Greatness

What about a little nurturing of our own hearts?

Can you see qualities of greatness in yourself that you can recognize and honour?

Take a moment to name 3 of these amazing qualities, and in what way you express them. 

New to home schooling?  No problem.  Daily Wonder can help you get started.  You can trust that the planning is tried and true and will save your time to use for assembling materials instead of using your weekend to plan.  

Not new to home schooling?  Welcome.  Daily Wonder offers organized, easy to use daily lesson plans when you are re-thinking your current routine.  

Not sure?  No problem, you can sign up for monthly membership and cancel anytime.  Try it for a month and see if it is a fit.  One of the many gifts of home schooling is that you can change and transform your curriculum, routine and schedule as you wish.  With DW you are not locked in, we offer you the freedom to try it when, and for how long, it fits your goals.

Here are five reasons parents are choosing Daily Wonder:

1. Teacher created, teacher researched and tested, child development based, inspiring subjects organized and curated.
2. Step by step daily lesson plans to cover your core subjects in an integrated, creative and artistic way.
3. Links to videos, pdfs, and on-line tools to support every minute of the lesson - all the research done!
4. Examples of expressed learning so you can see how it worked for other kids and families.
5. Parent forum!  "Anyone want to meet up on zoom for a watercolour painting activity?"  Here you can make connections to share content, make friends to share and celebrate the life of home schooling, and find people who will cheer you on.

We know planning can take the joy out of home schooling.  We have your back.  We have been panning for 20 years and feel like it is high time we share.  What is your favourite part about preparing for a year, unit, or day of home schooling?

Help Your Children to See Their Own Greatness

Often in our busy lives,  we pay more attention to the difficult traits that arise in our children because we want to address it and nip it in the bud. 
 
However, when you notice a quality of greatness in your child, don't let the moment pass, be sure to articulate it to them with specific words and explain the context. 
 
In this way they can begin to really feel and see this greatness in themselves, and embody these qualities. 
 
You might comment on their positive attitude in a situation, their responsibility, flexibility, patience etc.  
 
What is something great you noticed about your child recently? How did they respond when you pointed it out to them?