Syrendell

November Enrichment Guide - On Sale!

2011-11-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Four Full Weeks of Waldorf Crafting, Verses, Songs, Stories, Recipes, Caregiver Meditations, Adult Inner Work and Seasonal Celebrations in the November Enrichment Guide at Little Acorn Learning! Guide features some of Syrendell's work, including an owl hat crochet pattern, Thanksgiving verses, Day of the Dead clay vessels, and star lantern instructions.

Week One, November - Fire, Remembering Loved Ones

~Read Beautiful Books that help you Cherish Loved Ones Once Here.

~Celebrate the Element of Fire this week with your Children.

~Share Circle Time Songs of Autumn, Fire and Remembering

~Make Day of the Dead Clay Vessels

~Create and Honoring Table in Memory of Those You Love

~Make Glistening Votives to Light Up your Home

~Create Day of the Dead Memorial Candles

~Enjoy Autumn Fire Poetry

~Explore the Herb of Rosemary for Remembrance with the Children

~Remember Loved Ones with This Week's Caregiver Meditation

~Bake Soul Cakes

Week Two, November - Martinmas, Living Peacefully
~Read Stories of Peace and Saint Martin
~Share Songs of Lanterns, Light and Martinmas
~Create Martinmas Star Lanterns

~Learn the Song 'I Go With My Little Lantern' on your Pennywhistle or Flute and Listen to the

MP3 Version

~Explore Herbs for Living Peacefully in Your Home or School

~Share a Martinmas Puppet Show that Older Children Can Perform
~Read an Old Tale of St. Martin's Eve
~Meditate on Living Peacefully in Your Life and Work
~Treat those You Love to St. Martin Weckmann & Afternoon Tea

Week Three, November - The Owl, Wisdom
~Read Books of Owls and Wisdom
~Share Fingerplays and Songs for Circle Time
~Crochet a Sweet Owl Hat for the Children
~Read the Wise Wild Owl Poem
~Use Sage for Wisdom in Various Ways Throughout Your Home or School
~Create an Upcycled Wool Owl out of Old Sweaters

Week Four, November - Thanksgiving, Gratitude
~Read Stories of Thanksgiving and Gratitude

~Sing Songs at Circle Time with the Children this Week
~Enjoy Thanksgiving Verses
~Create a Beautiful Thanksgiving Leaf Mobile
~Use Rose for Herbal Gratitude this Week
~Build a Gratitude Tower in the Woods
~Cut Beautiful Autumn Leaf Paper 'Snowflakes'
~Make a Grateful Branch for Your Nature Space or Dinner Table
~What are You Grateful For? Meditate on This with This Week's Caregiver Meditation

Making an Autumn Wreath - Transformation

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Taking children on a nature hunt as the seasons change is a wonderful way to honor the plants and the new season. During Autumn, we enjoy collecting acorn caps, oak balls, dried flowers and rose hips, while marveling at the changing colors of leaves and wild grasses in the preserved pond area near our home. The landscape has truly transformed!

Once we collected a variety of dried flowers, we decided to create a beautiful wreath for our front door, welcoming autumn into our home. A bit of Feng Shui included -- wreaths are a way to bring positive energy to your family life.

Supplies:

1. Two gauges of wire
2. Wire cutters
3. Variety of dried flowers, herbs, rose hips
4. Optional: ribbons and other embellishments (we chose to keep this wreather all natural with no ribbons)

We started off making a circle out of a thicker wire, and then cut pieces of thinner wire for wrapping.

Long pieces of sage were placed around the circle and tied on with bits of wire.

Then, we added dried flowers, berries and rose hips.

Eventually, there was enough wire wrapped so that all we had to do was stick the plants into the wreath and they would stay.

We'll add and change out some of the plant material as ithe wreath dries over time, and as we continue on our nature hunt adventures!

It was exciting to see the rose bushes so transformed from flowers to hips...we wonder what we will find on our next trip!

Autumn Nature Tables

2011-10-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a favorite time for us when it comes to creating nature tables. Going on nature hunts for rose hips, fallen leaves, oak balls, dried herbs, and acorns is part of the fun!

We read books about the harvest, gnomes, and the changing of the seasons as the root children begin their descent into the Earth.

We celebrate Michaelmas and bring out pumpkins in anticipation of Halloween.

Rainbow summer colors, green leaves, and ocean waves disappear as hues of orange, gold, eggplant and brown appear. A time to celebrate the cooler weather and a time of rest and contemplation.

October Enrichment Guide is Here!

2011-09-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Four Full Weeks of Waldorf Crafting, Verses, Songs, Stories, Recipes, Caregiver Meditations, Adult Inner Work and Seasonal Celebrations. Syrendell is a contributor each week! HUGE E-Book! (OVER 100 pages!)

Week One, October - Birds, Showing Kindness
~Learn and Share New Songs with the Children
~Read Books of Birds and Kindness
~Sew a Bird Mobile
~Participate in Seven Days of Increasing Kindness
~Make Birdseed Pinecones
~Learn a 'Sweet Song' on the Pennywhistle or Flute and Listen to the MP3 Version Sent Along with Your Ebook
~Craft a Beautiful 'Kindness Egg'
~Meditate on Cultivating Kindness in Your Life and the Lives of Others

Week Two, October - Woodworking, Honesty
~Sing Fun Songs as you Tap, Tap,Tap during Woodworking Week
~Read Books to the Children about Woodworking and Honesty
~Create Gorgeous Wooden Trees for Play or to Adorn Your Nature Table
~Read a Sweet Sparkle Story about a Wish Crystal - Included in Your Purchase is also a Link to the MP3 Version of this story by Master Storyteller, David Sewell McCann
~Carve Wooden Snails for the Children
~Spend Time this Week Listening Honestly to the Way You Communicate
Week Three, October - Cornhusks, Humility
~Make Beautiful Cornhusk Candle Holders
~Read Books of the Season and Theme this Week
~Sing Songs of Corn, Farmers and Autumn
~Cook Delicious Tamales for Your Family or School
~Create Flowers out of Cornhusks
~Use a Scroll Saw to Make Autumn Ladies and Indian Corn as Toys or for the Nature Table
~Spend Time Meditating on Being Humble in Life and Accepting Where Others are on Their Path

Week Four, October - Pumpkins, Illumination
~Sing about Witches, Pumpkins and More!
~Fill Your Basket with Books that Light Up the Week
~Bake Pumpkin Muffins with the Children
~Create Pumpkin Globe Lanterns to Illuminate Your Home or School
~Learn 'Orange Leaf' on the Pennywhistle or Flute and Listen to the MP3 Version Sent Along with Your Ebook
~Create a Beautiful Pumpkin Path to Bring in Halloween
~Meditate on Illumination and All of the Colors of Your Life

Birth Photos and Art

2011-09-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy and birth are a journey to remember. This pregnancy, we are taking a lot of pictures and forming a baby book from 5 weeks pregnancy, on.

5 Weeks

18 Weeks

Part of the baby book will feature artwork. What do we think of when we say, "pregnant", "baby", "birth"? Each person in the family has a different outlook -- a personal interpretation of what this special time means for us.

39-40 Weeks

Each of us created a piece of artwork by drawing over the past couple of months. Once the baby is born, we will do this again. It is fascinating to see the differences in the styles, medium choices and content.

We look forward to including these beautiful pieces of artwork in the baby's book after she is born!

Wilson's Birth Art - Colored Pencils

Joey's Birth Art - Colored Pencils

Ricky's Birth Art - Pencil

Jennifer's Birth Art - Block Crayons

Rick's Birth Art - Oil Pastels

Handwork eBooks

2011-09-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

Need some ideas for handwork projects at home? Our seasonal handwork eBooks are available through Little Acorn Learning. Each one features a variety of handwork, verses and pictures.

Autumn

Winter

Spring

Summer

Making a Silk Tepee

2011-09-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Tepees are great fun for outdoor and indoor play!

As we've found out, they also can be an abode for curious pets....

If you are studying Native Americans this year, you can work on creating a more authentic tepee and and incorporate this into lessons.

Learning how to do knots and lashing to create a sturdy frame is wonderful, too! Look at scouting manuals for help.

Maybe sleep in it overnight?

Play clips, yarn, twine and clothespins are helpful if you want to reuse the silks or fabric.

Rainbow Silks in our Etsy shop.

Wood play clips from this Etsy shop, and this one.

August Enrichment Guide is Here!

2011-08-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

Wonderful August enrichment book from Little Acorn Learning (OVER 100 pages!).

Four Full Weeks of Waldorf Crafting, Verses, Songs, Stories, Recipes, Caregiver Meditations, Adult Inner Work and Seasonal Celebrations

Some of our articles are featured this month, including yoga poses for handwork, weaving, painting, and planting a healing garden. More information and to order online: http://littleacornlearning.com/augustenrichment.html

Week One, August - Wild Herbs & Flowers, Healing
~Sing Songs of Herbs and Flowers
~Make Homemade Herbal Soaps
~Create Scented Herb Wash
~Plant a Healing Garden with Your Children
~Enjoy Homemade Lavender Bubble Bath
~Make Herbal Acrostics
~Meditate on Healing Yourself Spiritual and Physically

Week Two, August - The Ladybug, Gentleness
~Read Stories of Gentleness and Ladybugs
~Learn Sweet Fingerplays and Songs
~Sew a Felt Ladybug Bracelet
~Paint Ladybug Pet Rocks
~Enjoy the Ladybug's Tea Poem
~Learn the Let's Find a Ladybug Song on Your Pennywhistle or Flute!
~Receive the MP3 Version of the Let's Find a Ladybug Song with Your Purchase
~Teach Your Child the Gentle Art Form of Wet on Wet Watercolor Painting
~Take Time for Your Spirit and Ponder Being Gentle with Yourself in this Life

Week Three, August - Starfish & Seahorses, Movement
~Share Movement Songs with the Children
~Read Stories of Starfish and Seahorses
~Sew a Seahorse Toy
~Create Beautiful Starfish out of Felt for Your Children
~Enjoy the Movement of Yoga
~Make a Sea Stars Banner to Decorate Your Home or School
~How do you find the balance necessary between Movement and Rest in your life?
Mediate on this and more in this week's Caregiver Meditation.

Week Four, August - The Unicorn, Imagination~Share Tales of Unicorns and Imagination
~Create a Unicorn Stuffed Toy
~Sing Songs and Move this Week!
~Make a Unicorn's Labyrinth
~Practice the Unicorn Song on Your Pennywhistle or Flute and Receive the MP3 Version with your August Enrichment Guide!
~Spend Time Weaving with Your Imagination with a Special Craft
~How can you create an environment which fosters Imagination in the children you care for?
What do you imagine for your life?

Syrendell on Squidoo!

2011-08-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lensmaster Sara Duggan of Mom with a Hook, we now have a beautiful Squidoo Lens! Sara is truly amazing...she put this together for us so quickly and professionally. We highly recommend her service for those who want to get their blogs, websites, Etsy shops or other web presence alive and connected online. And, she's super-sweet and very creative! Quite the fiber artist. :)

Contact Sara through her blog or on Facebook. You can also sign up for her e-newsletter.

Here is our lens...come and take a peek, and please leave a comment in our guestbook!

New eCourse -- Waldorf and Anthroposophy!

2011-08-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

An exciting new ecourse begins on August 15th through Little Acorn Learning! 'The Five Spheres of Waldorf Education' will be led by Dr. Rick Tan.

This ecourse encapsulates the sweeping themes of this educational movement: Self, Relationships, Balance, Rhythm, and Course. Dr. Rick Tan will discuss one sphere per week and the relevant topics in anthroposophy and Waldorf that are connected with the sphere. Join us! Click here to register.

Birthday Rings

2011-07-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

We have always wanted a birthday ring that we could also use on our nature table for festival celebrations, including Advent. One of our local Waldorf dads handcrafts these beautiful rings and sells them in his Etsy shop. We asked for one unfinished so that we could paint it ourselves!

The wood is sycamore which is already so beautiful on its own. We tested out how it would look on our kitchen table and in our nature table area.

Wilson and Mommy decided to paint rainbow colors using our Stockmar watercolors. Then, we polished them with natural beeswax polish.

Now, the birthday ring is ready! It's so beautiful, we have it out in the kitchen right now. When the new baby is born around October, we will use it to celebrate the birth with a candle.

Spring and Summer Swaps & Exchanges

2011-07-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

We love participating in swaps and exchanges! They are wonderful ways of meeting the nicest families, while giving and receiving beautiful handcrafted items for our home and nature table. Much of what we give and receive is Waldorf-inspired.

Items that we created for the Gnomes, Hedgehogs, Mushroom Swap

This year, we have continued to enjoy being a part of Bits of Goodness swaps, including the "gnomes, mushrooms and hedgehogs" theme! We send out 5 items to be swapped, and 1 item for the hostess. Then, we receive 5 different items back. Coming up is a "summer play" swap and we eagerly sent out our handcrafted streamer sticks. Can't wait to see what we get back!

Items that we received in the Gnomes, Hedgehogs, Mushrooms Swap

We have also participated in the 4 Seasons Exchange which is a one-on-one exchange each season. Here is Spring:

Items that we received in the Spring Exchange

Items that we gave in the Spring Exchange

And, here is Summer!

Items that we received in the Summer Exchange

Items that we gave in the Summer Exchange

Both groups have flickr.com groups where you can see pictures posted. Bits of Goodness runs a yahoogroup where you can sign up for swaps and see more information. 4 Seasons Exchange is on Facebook. What I love about the 1-1 exchanges is that we write a letter to the family, telling them what we made and why. It is such a joy to see handcrafted items from different parts of the world come to us for our nature table.

Summer Ideas!

2011-07-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

Looking for summer ideas for your family? The Little Acorn Learning July Enrichment Guide is here!

Week One, July

The Mermaid, Independence
~Sing Songs of Mermaids!
~Take Time for Yourself with Our Caregiver Meditation
~Create a Beautiful Felted Mermaid
~Make a Mermaid Aquarium for Summer Play
~Read Poems to Your Children
~Make a Mermaid Costume with Wrist Ribbons!

Week Two, July
Stargazing, Reverence
~Spend Time this Week Considering What Reverence Means in Your Life
~Making a Felted Big Dipper
~Draw Down the Stars to Your Soul with Our Star Singing Activity
~Read Stories from a Summer Night Sky and Learn About Constellations
~Read Books All About the Stars and Sky

Week Three, July
The Great Outdoors, Solitude
~Celebrate The Great Outdoors with Your Children this Week!
~Read Books on the Woods, Forests, Trees, Meadows and Brooks
~Can You Find Peace in Being Alone?
Meditate on the Beauty of Solitude This Week.
~Take a Listening Walk with Your Children
~Create an Outdoor Nature Table
~Learn to Play 'The Great Smoky Mountains'
On Your Flute or Pennywhistle
~Enjoy the MP3 of the Song As Well
~Listen to the Gifts of Solitude
~Cook Up a Delicious Batch of Caldron Chicken for Your Next Outdoor Adventure

Week Four, July
The Ocean, Inner Balance
~Read Stories of Waves, Sand and Sea
~Sing to the Ocean
~Find Inner Balance in Your Life
~Learn 'The Mighty Ocean' Song on Your Pennywhistle or Flute
~Listen to the MP3 Version of the Song with Sweet Children's Voices
~Make a Labyrinth in Your Own Backyard!
~Create Beautiful Seashell Candles
~Make a Seashell Sun to Hang for Summer

How to Make Stuffed Animals eBook

2011-06-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Our eBook on making stuffed animals is available through Earthschooling at the BEarth Institute!

Crochet eCourse Trailer

2011-06-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick clip from the middle of our first lesson on crocheting! You are welcome to register for the eCourse any time over the next 5 weeks. Work at your own pace and enjoy learning the basics of crocheting and Tunisian crocheting!

Peace Flags on Flag Day

2011-06-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Flag Day in the US is a special day for us to honor the American flag. We usually talk about what the red/white/blue, stars & stripes mean in the flag, and enjoy looking at pictures of old American flags. We also like to take time looking at flags from around the world. The colors! The shapes! So beautiful. This year, Ricky showed us his own drawing of the American flag from his 8th grade Main Lesson Book.

Recently, we went through a nice pile of old clothes where the material was still good, but quite not in shape to give away. Joey & Wilson went through the pile and selected colors that they liked. Joey cut out triangles and squares. Mommy cut strips from old white jeans and sewed them together, then sewed the little flags on.

With embroidery thread, we sewed little stars at the top of each flag.

Today, we will hang up our peace flags in our new meditation are in the back yard and talk about ways that we can encourage peace on Earth. Over time, we might embroider symbols and shapes on each flag.

Global Waldorf Expo!

2011-06-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Come and join the Global Waldorf Expo online through The Waldorf Connection. You must be registered in order to attend: Click here. A wealth of information and inspiration!

Workshop Schedule

Friday, June 10
Kick-0ff Preview: “The Importance of Waldorf Education”
With Rainbow Rosenbloom: 4:00pm Eastern

Saturday, June 11
Session one: “ It’s All Relative; Helping Your Child Meet the ‘Real’ World”
With Eugene Schwartz: 9:30 am Eastern

Session Two: “Cooking & Snacks with Children”
With Anne Marie Fryer: 11am

Session Three: “Practical Ways to Teach Multiple grades”
With Barbara Dewey: 1pm

Session Four: “Getting Dad on Board”
With Melisa & Eric Nielsen: 2:30 pm

Session Five: “Spinning a Yarn: Intuitive Storytelling”
With David Sewell McCann: 4pm

Session Six: “Music Through the Grades”
With Anne Cleveland: 5:30 pm

Sunday, June 12
Session one: “Kindergarten Days”
With Sharifa Oppenheimer: 9:30am

Session Two: “Mothers and Sons: The Dance of Attachment & Separation”
With Janet Allison: 10:30am

Session Three: “Weaving Math into Main Lesson”
With Marin Lipowitz: 12:00am

Session Four: “Festivals through the Year”
With Jennifer Tan: 1pm eastern

Session Five: Scheduling Middle & High School Lessons
With Kristie Burns: 2:30pm

Session Six: The Sense of Life in the Young Child”
with Danielle Epifani 4:00pm

Session Seven: “Teaching music to your child: You can do it!”
With Jodie Mesler: 5:30pm

Session Eight: “The Soul of Discipline”
With Kim John Payne TBA

BONUS:
Eugene Schwartz: “Homeschool Planning”
Donna Ashton: “Daily Rhythms & Boundaries”
Anne Cleveland: “Main Lesson Topics- grade by grade”

Crochet eCourse!

2011-06-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

Learn the basics of crochet and Tunisian crochet through a 5-week eCourse at Little Acorn Learning! Jennifer will be teaching this course online through written directions, pictures and videos each week.

Save $ when you register early! $65 by June 12, or $80 after June 12. Course starts June 27th. Work at your own pace from home! Supplies available in our Etsy shop. More info. and to register: http://littleacornlearning.com/CrochetECourse.html

Week 1 - Basics of crochet, history, supplies, start a washcloth

Week 2 - Learn 3 new stitches and start an afghan
Week 3 - Learn 3 new stitches and start a hat
Week 4 - Basics of Tunisian crochet, history, supplies, start a scarf

Week 5 - Learn new stitches and start a ball

Growing and Growing....

2011-06-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Syrendell is growing! Our family and our business are blossoming this year, and we feel very fortunate.

Baby #4 is due early October. With each baby, Jennifer's belly seems to pop out earlier!

Joey is ending her Grade 6 year with Medieval Games (variety of Waldorf schools participate) and camping at Cache Creek. She's almost as tall as Mommy!

Wilson is finishing up Grade 1, reading, writing and loving math. He grew out of his indoor shoes, so he and Mommy made a new pair by wetfelting wool. He's excited about the baby!

The baby kittens are almost full grown. They still love to hang out with their mom.

Ricky has grown this year in grade 8 at Davis Waldorf School. He did a 20-minute presentation on the clarinet, including performing his own composition. To end the year, his class went to Kroka wilderness camp in New Hampshire and visited colonial sites in Boston, MA.

Our summer garden is planted, and growing! Corn, peas, beans, pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, various squash, tomatoes, onions, beets, radishes, daikon, rutabaga, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatillos, strawberries, cucumbers, and a variety of herbs.

Our consulting services, workshops, and private lessons are expanding at Syrendell! We thoroughly enjoy our adventures with homeschoolers, Waldorf schoolers, and others who want to learn more about fiber arts, art, aromatherapy and music. eCourses in crocheting and Anthroposophy coming soon through Little Acorn Learning!

New patterns, eBooks, handwork supplies and handspun yarns are in the making for the Etsy shop. The baby is inspiring Jennifer to create some Tunisian baby clothes and patterns, as well as publish the 6-years-in-the-making mothering meditations eBook. The family is also busy crochetng, knitting and sewing baby toys and clothes! Grandma knitted the white hats, and Wilson knitted the bear and cat.

Growth and change are all a part of life...and we are enjoying it! Thank you for reading our blog and joining us on Facebook.

June Enrichment Guide is Here!

2011-06-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Come and take a peek at the Little Acorn Learning June Enrichment Guide! Full of songs, recipes, verses, stories and creative projects. A wonderful resource for home, homeschooling, Waldorf schools, and co-ops.

Week One: Pirates & Treasures, Discovery

Week Two: Fireflies, Optimism

Week Three: Summer Solstice, Letting Go

Week Four: Reptiles, Adaptability

Little Ones - Magical Waldorf Dolls

2011-04-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

"Little Ones" are small Waldorf dolls, made for all children in Grade K at Davis Waldorf School. The classroom angel lets children know that the Little Ones will arrive, and when they do...it's magic!

Our son Wilson, along with other children who did not attend Grade K at the school, had the opportunity to receive a Little One in Grade 1 or 2. The amazing K teacher made the cloth body out of tea-dyed cotton with a blessing flower petal inside. Parents secretively met each week late at night to sew the clothes, felt the hair and make the hats out of cloth, felt or yarn. The Little Ones look similar to the child, and the colors and designs are chosen to match or balance the temperament. They come from "Little Land", and children hold them often while at school and home.

Wilson's "Little One" appeared this morning in his room. His name is "Elf Star", and Wilson wants to call him "Elfie". We are going to make a sleeping bag out of naturally-dyed felt for Elfie so that he may sleep close to Wilson at night.

Handwork Felting eCourse! - Starts May 9, 2011

2011-04-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Handwork ECourse from Little Acorn Learning
Felting - 5 Weeks - Only $80! Starts May 9, 2011
Instructor: Jennifer Tan, MA from Syrendell

Felting is one of the most primitive textile arts. Its origin is unknown, but swatches of felt were discovered in Europe and Asia dating as far back as the Bronze Age. Nomadic tribes had relied on felt's durabilty and versatility to make practical items such as blankets and tents. Created by the massaging of wool fibers in a liquid medium, felt can be shaped into many useful and decorative items. Legend has it that a Christian monk, who was trying to evade Roman soldiers, had found wool hanging from branches and put it into his sandals. After some time, his sweat and water from stream beds as he ran, created felted socks! In the 19th century, during the Industrial Revolution, felted bowler hats were very popular. A process that used mercuric nitrate to make the hats was employed, but the poisonous fumes that the workers were constantly exposed to caused neurological symptoms, which may have led to the expression "mad as a hatter."

Jennifer Tan, master fiber artist, in her five week felting course, guarantees you will neither have to become a fugitive of the Roman Empire nor a lunatic ala Mad Hatter to enjoy the art of felting! She will introduce the techniques of wet felting and needle felting where you will create beautiful projects with a wide array of applications. In her course, Jennifer will accompany her teaching with Waldorf-inspired verses and songs.

You will develop a love of this truly magnificent craft long after Jennifer's course is done. She does not guarantee that your family will not go insane from the many felted items you will undoubtedly begin to create!

Week 1: What is felting? (wet, needle, felting sweaters, felting crochet/knit/woven items) Types of fibers and supplies. Carding fibers.
Week 2: Wetfelting - scarf
Week 3: Wetfelting - sculptural (balls, eggs)
Week 4: Needlefelting - landscapes
Week 5: Needlefelting - sculptural (fairies, animals)

This ECourse is 'Work-As-You-Go' Each Week with New Tutorials and Inspiration Posted Weekly for a Duration of Five Weeks. You Check in When You Have Time. No Pressure, No Requirements - Just Suggestions. To register and see the list of recommended reading, click here.

Nature Tables

2011-04-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

We love creating nature tables. It can be as simple as gathering seasonal objects from nature and displaying on a mantel, or making artistic projects to feature in a nook or on a shelf.

The nature table is not stagnant, but rather alive and constantly changing! As the seasons progress, so does the nature table.

Children can be involved in so many ways. Even the process of taking down one season's setting, cleaning, gathering items, and talking about how to set up the next season can be a lesson all on its own. Reverence for changes in nature make us feel connected to the Earth, and also help us to understand the changes that we feel within ourselves.

Sometimes, the weather drastically changes earlier or later than we estimate, so rather than sticking strictly to the solstices and equinoxes, we change the nature table when we "feel" that it is time. Then, little creatures appear for holidays, such as bunnies and chicks for Easter.

The nature table can get cluttered! Taking away is as important as adding to the setting. Keeping special objects in a moth-proof/critter-proof container is helpful for storage.

Each year, we like to create at least one new object for the nature table per season. Singing, sharing stories, and saying verses while changing the nature tables is a happy family ritual. For inspiration on nature tables, look at pictures on Flickr, take a peek inside of Pre-K-5th grade Waldorf classrooms, read books about the seasons, or search for pictures on blogs.

April Enrichment Guide

2011-03-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

April Enrichment Book eBook is out! (over 100 pages!)Four Full Weeks of Waldorf Crafting, Verses, Songs, Stories, Recipes, Caregiver Meditations, Adult Inner Work and Seasonal Celebrations, some written by Syrendell.

These beautiful monthly enrichment ebooks follow the rhythm of a weekly theme with the flexibility that teachers, homeschoolers and afterschooling parents need to enrich their children's Waldorf learning experience at home or school.

Week One, April

Spring Animals & Birds, Nurturing

Week Two, April

The Rain, Awakening

Week Three, April

Earth, Remaining Grounded

Week Four, April
Easter, Rebirth

For more details on each week's wonderful activities and a sample of the beautiful songs you will teach your children - visit Little Acorn Learning.

Spring Handwork eBook!

2011-03-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

Our Spring Handwork eBook is now available through Little Acorn Learning!

Little hands will be busy this Spring as they work along side their caregiver on sweet projects in this
Spring Handwork Ebook created just for Little Acorn Learning by Jennifer Tan of Syrendell.

This e-book is filled with verses, instructions on how to make a Spring Nature Table Gnome, Sunny Luminary, Beautiful Easter Spring Star and Needle Felted Baby Chicks. Also includes a list of suggested resources for people interested introducing handwork to their children at home or school.

Feng Shui in the Home

2011-03-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Implementing the basics of Feng Shui in your home can make a difference. Positive energy flow, de-cluttered space, sacred spots, room color, furniture selection, elemental balance...all of these ideas and more can easily be done to provide an environment for your family that feels safe, peaceful, happy and warm.

Using the "Bagua" is one way to implement Feng Shui. It is like a map that you can lay down onto the floor plan of your home (or office, homeschooling space, classroom, etc.). Each area of the Bagua has a special connection to a part of your life. Taking the time to arrange each area of your home can change the energy flow.

An easy way to learn about the Bagua is through our Bagua Journal, a colorful, easy-to-use eBook written by Rick who is a certified Feng Shui consultant. It is available in our Etsy Shop for $8. Rick also enjoys doing in-person and online consultations (email us if interested). Working with Feng Shui in your home takes just a little bit a time, not a lot of money, and it feels great!

Here's to a happy, positive, peaceful week in your home....

Grade One Math - The Four Processes

2011-03-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

We love how Waldorf introduces all four math processes together in Grade 1. It just makes more sense, and it takes the fear factor out of multiplication and division. Introducing stories and characters for each process brings the numbers to life, and the stories help children remember the function of each process.

Here are some pictures of Wilson with his home main lesson books, telling us stories about the characters and asking us for more math problems.

"A farmer digs three holes in the ground and plants two seeds in each hole." Child draws the picture, below, and figures out that 2+2+2=6, or 2x3=6.

Farmer Plus

Mr. Minus

Tommy Times

Mr. Divide

Early Spring Nature Table

2011-03-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

Spring is coming, Spring is coming
Birdies build your nest.
Weave together, straw and feather
Doing each your best!
Doing each your best.

On some days in March, the sun is out here in Northern California! Bulbs are blooming and Spring is almost here. We always look forward to the transition from cold Winter to Sunny Spring. Creating a new nature table together introduces pretty, pastel colors, flowers, and most of all...hope.

We start off with the kids taking everything down from Winter and cleaning the shelves. A little Spring cleaning feels great! Then, the kids go through the baskets of naturally-dyed silks and choose a color that reminds them of Spring.

We gather the first two daffodils that bloomed in our yard. Our Davis home is still relatively new to us, so we were pleasantly surprised when daffodils popped up in the corner of our garden!

Daddy's hand-carved wood snail loves to make an appearance at some point. Our little Spring dolls made from wood and naturally dyed wool and felt (from Mama Jude's on Etsy) look like flowers themselves. Our friend squirrel carries a sign stating, "I love Spring!". Lucy Leprechaun will make an appearance pretty soon with a clover in her hands. A crocheted fairy ring of felt flowers circle a beautiful handmade beeswax, egg-shaped candle by Jan Schubert of Bee Happy Candles. I think that we will be reading Jan's book, The Sun Seed later this week!

Happy Spring....

Rhythm of the Home Spring Edition

2011-03-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Rhythm of the Home Spring edition is out!

Rhythm of the Home is a quarterly online magazine specializing in natural living, handmade, and seasonal celebration. We unite the Waldorf and Montessori community through inspiring articles and projects.

We have two articles featured in this edition:

Wet-on-Wet Watercoloring

Felted Birthday Banner and Crown

Rhythm of the Home also have an amazing give-away right now on their blog! Come and enjoy this beautiful magazine, full of inspiration.

March Guide eBook Available!

2011-02-26T17:38:00.000-08:00

Week One, March
Fairies & Dragons, Magic

Week Two, March
The Season of Lent, Sacrifice

Week Three, March
St. Patrick's Day, Luck

Week Four, March
Spring's Return, New Life

Week Five, March
Rainbows, Creating Color

For more details on each week's wonderful activities and a sample of the beautiful songs you will teach your children - visit Little Acorn Learning

Anthroposophy 101 ECourse February 27!

2011-02-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

Raw Vegan Condiments

2011-02-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

Some easy-to-make dips and sauces for the whole family! Raw and vegan, keeping the enzymes and nutrients intact. Great for salads, sandwiches, and more. We rarely keep track of exact measurements of anything, but in general, we start off blending the nuts or seeds with the veggies slowly, and add more items in as we go. The Vita-Mix works very well for blending. Add more oil, vinegar, lemon or water to water down or make more creamy. Nuts and seeds may be soaked before blending. A fun project to make with the kids, practicing measuring, harvesting, preparing. Play around with ratios and suprise the whole family! Excellent books with raw vegan recipes found here.

Sunny Cauliflower Dressing

Cauliflower
Sunflower Seeds
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Braggs Liquid Aminos
Braggs Olive Oil
Pepper
Fresh Parsley and Dill (or dried)
Coriander
Garlic
Onions or Green Onions
Water
Fresh Squeezed Lemon or Lime

Red Bell Pepper Dip

Red Bell Pepper

Raw Cashews

Onion

Garlic

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Braggs Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu Soy Sauce

Braggs Olive Oil

Pepper

Fresh Parsley

Coriander

Cumin

Dash of Chili Pepper

Water

Fresh Squeezed Lemon

Olive Tapenade

Olives

Walnuts

Onion

Garlic

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Braggs Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu Soy Sauce

Braggs Olive Oil

Pepper

Fresh Parsley

Coriander

Cumin

Fresh Squeezed Lemon

Form Drawing

2011-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

Want to come learn about Form Drawing? Jennifer and Rick will be presenting a visual teleseminar through The Waldorf Connection on Thursday Feb. 17 at 1pm PST/4pm EST. Free! *There will be a 48-hr free replay

This will be a Visual Power-Point presentation so that you can "see" examples and learn about Form Drawing.

What will be covered on this call?

*What is form drawing?

*Why is it important (its more than for good hand writing)

*Who needs to learn it?

*When & How do we teach Form Drawing?

*How to incorporate Form Drawing into our lessons

Come watch this workshop on web! It is suggested that you use the webcast link so you can VIEW this as well as listen.

Here is the link to view workshop on the web: http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=17796018

If you prefer to listen over the phone: 801-656-2240 ID: 006647#, or back-up number 704-804-5068 ID: 006647#

Skype: http://instantteleseminar.com/skype and useID: 006647#

We have also set up a *special* for Waldorf Connection participants. Hope to see you on later today!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

Today is the day when we sing to each child and present a small gift that is either homemade by us, or a Waldorf inspired business on Etsy.

Felted Gnome from the Jaunty Gnome

Waldorf Boy Doll by Under the Bodhi Tree Designs

Simple Love Song

I love Wilson, yes I do

He's the cutest boy I know

He's so handsome and so sweet

Singing to him is such a treat! (or substitute "singing" with "holding", "hugging", "kissing", etc.)

The children made caramel and felted hearts for their friends.

And watercolor cards for each other.

The night will end with a dinner featuring organic red strawberries, wild cherries and a berry smoothie! Mommy and Daddy might take a little time to enjoy dessert out on the town. We are so thankful for the love that we share on this special day of the year.

Anthroposophy 101 ECourse

2011-02-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

A song celebrating the seasons, a story about gnomes, children jumping in puddles, crafts of felted wool - a picture of Waldorf. When people are intrigued about this educational stream, they ask, "Where did this come from?" When you say Steiner and anthroposophy, most will be puzzled. Steiner? Anthropo-what? For those who are eager to learn more about this cutting edge Renaissance man, and the spiritual foundation that sparked Waldorf education, Anthroposophy 101 is for you.

Anthroposophy 101 is a deliciously intriguing sampler of Waldorf and anthroposophy presented by Dr. Rick Tan through Little Acorn Learning. An informal and interactive format allows you to reflect on the basics of anthroposophy, while expressing your artistic nature. Dr. Tan, a Waldorf teacher, artist, musician - a Renaissance man himself, offers his personal thoughts and insights. He aims for you to find your own creative and spiritual paths.

This six week ecourse will cover the following topics:

* Human Wisdom (1 week)

* Steiner's Renaissance (1 week)

* Cosmos and Earth (1 week)

* Waldorf Stream (1 week)

* Five Spheres (1 week)

* Human Freedom (1 week)

Join Little Acorn Learning's Very First ECourse Offering, and at your convenience, follow the directed exercises, learn a little something about anthroposophy, and learn a little something about yourself!

ECourse Begins February 27th and is 'Work-As-You-Go' Each Week with New Lesson Plans and Inspiration Posted Weekly for a Duration of Six Weeks. You Check in When You Have Time.

Only $100 for the ENTIRE Six Week Session!

To Reserve a Space: www.littleacornlearning.com

February Enrichment Guide - Crafts, Music, Stories, Recipes, and More!

2011-01-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

Check out Little Acorn Learning's Feb. Enrichment Guide! Valentine's, St. Brigid's Day, Candlemas. It's full of music, recipes, crafts, stories and more. What a wonderful resource for homeschoolers, Waldorf schoolers and parents wanting ideas for projects to do at home with children.

Our articles on aromatherapy, gardening and crafts appear in this issue. http://www.littleacornlearning.com/index.html

Deep Peace....

2011-01-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of our favorite songs/verses, especially during the more quiet time of Winter. Say or sing it to your loved ones before bed or while giving a massage.

Gentle Discipline Free Teleseminar - The Waldorf Connection

2011-01-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Donna Ashton from the Waldorf Connection is offering her Award-Winning program to teach you the “Essential Elements of Early Childhood.” And she is getting everyone started for free in her class, “Stop Discipline Struggles! 3 Dynamic Tools for an Effective, Happier Household" with Carrie Dentler of the Parenting Passageway, Thursday January 27 at 1pm Pacific/4pm Eastern.

To reserve your seat:http://thewaldorfconnection.com/dap/a/?a=8&p=www.elementsofearlychildhood.com/preview.htm
Here's what you're going to learn on this ground-breaking and somewhat controversial call:

*How to approach difficult situations in a gentle and effective way so you can nurture an environment of respect and empathy in your home.
*How to create a family culture that supports discipline.
*How movement can be used as a tool for discipline of the small child.
*How to use your words effectively so you aren't repeating things over and over
*Gain practical tools to use immediately
*And much more...

Here's that link again to reserve your spot in this complimentary class: http://thewaldorfconnection.com/dap/a/?a=8&p=www.elementsofearlychildhood.com/preview.htm

Kerelaion -- a new eBook and art technique

2011-01-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to introduce an artistic medium that includes a combination of wax, oil and aromatherapy. Create beautiful, ethereal artwork using the Kerelaion technique!

Our eBook includes a list of supplies, directions on the technique, when and how to use this with children and as a therapeutic technique, a verse, and beautiful color pictures. "Kerelaion" means wax-oil in Ancient Greek.

Wonderful to experience by yourself, for homeschooling, or with groups of children and adults.

The eBook will be emailed to you as a PDF file within a day upon receipt of order and payment. Available through our blog, website and Etsy shop.

Three Kings - Epiphany eBook

2011-01-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

Introducing the Three Kings Day & The Epiphany Theme Book!

With Contributions by:

~ Eileen Straiton, Little Acorn Learning
~ Jodie Mesler, Home Music Making
~ Jennifer Tan, Syrendell
~ Valarie Budyar, Jump Into A Book

*Create Stunning Three Kings Finger Puppets
*Make Beautiful 'Stars of Wonder' to hang in your Home or School
*Enjoy Two MP3 Three Kings Day Songs Written JUST for Little Acorn. Learning Along with Song Sheets and Pentatonic Song Music to Use with the Penny Whistle or Flute in Your Winter Lesson Plans
*Enjoy Verses and Fingerplays in the Waldorf Tradition
*Make Three Kings Bundles and Three Kings Crunch!
*Learn More About the Meaning Behind this Sacred Festival
*Meditate on Verses from Rudolf Steiner and Others for This Season
*Read SIX Soul Warming Stories to Your Children Bringing the Spirit of The Epiphany into Your Home All Week
*Learn How to Bless Your Home on this Day
*Find Out What Colors to Use in Celebration of The Epiphany on Your Nature Table
*Create an Epiphany Bonfire!
*Teach Your Child About the Very First Christmas
*Bake Twelfth Night Cake
*Enjoy Additional Book Recommendations from Little Acorn Learning to Bring into Your Three Kings Theme

And Much More!

New Workshops!

2011-01-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

New workshops are scheduled for 2011! Come and join Syrendell to learn more about handwork, art and aromatherapy. Workshops are held in Davis, California unless otherwise noted. Davis is about 20 minutes from Sacramento and 1.5 hrs. from San Francisco. We also travel and teach! Email us to schedule a workshop near you.

To see the upcoming schedule and register: www.syrendellacademy.com

February 6
Felting 10-12
Spinning 1-3

March 6
Beginning Crochet 10-12
Tunisian Crochet 1-3

April 3
Beginning Knitting 10-12
Wet-On-Wet Watercoloring 1-3