Last week just before the weather turned (it has been cold and rainy all this week), we enjoy yet another sunny day at the cider mill. This time we were joined by both Gammy and Nana. We didn’t go to our normal u-pick farm but rather a historic mill along the river. It has a very different atmosphere. The kids played on the rocks, found snails and clams in the stream and dared each other across a rickety bridge. The highlight came at the end as we discovered very unusual acorns in the parking lot. We collected lots of fuzzy Gnome Hats (acorn tops) for our nature table.
Once a month we are going to be making quilt squares to highlight some of the fun things we are learning about this year. We will each be making one 10″ x 10″ square every month and then at the end of the school year we will sew them all into a memory quilt.
This month we used a Glue Batik Fabric Painting method to highlight our recent apple studies. I stumbled across this idea on That Artist Woman‘s blog and knew we had to try it (check out her site for detailed directions). It was a really easy project for any age child but it does take a couple days to complete due to drying times.
First I cut out 10″ squares of white muslin. Then we drew a design on the fabric with pencils.
After we had our designs ready, we traced them with the Blue Gel Elmer’s School Glue. Then the fabric had to dry over night.
The next day we used water down acrylic paints to cover the entire square of fabric.
Once that dried we washed out the glue with hot water and a little dish soap. I hung the squares to dry and then ironed them flat.
A few notes: The next time we do this (and oh yes… I imagine we will be doing this many more times) I will encourage everyone to get more detailed – or at least cover more surface area with the glue. I also think I watered down my paints too much. I would have like brighter colors… they ended up drying a lot lighter than they originally looked but I had been afraid of the fabric ending up really stiff.
We are continuing with our apple theme, but this week looking more at the tree than the fruit. We will be focusing on the topic of the change in seasons. I think this will be a good week to take some time to freshen up and decorate our nature table to reflect the change that is occurring outside our windows.
Week Four (Sep 29th-Oct 3)
The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree
Why Do Leaves Change Colors?
E is for Eyebright
We will be coloring the Eyebright page from our Flower Fairies Alphabet Coloring Book and reading the accompanying story in the Flower Fairies Alphabet Book.
Once a month, we will be decorating a 12 inch quilt square to reflect something we are currently learning about. At the end of the school year, I will turn all of our squares into a keepsake quilt. (Related post: Glue Batik Fabric Squares)
We have a busy week and I don’t have a specific field trip in mind other than enjoying our falls walks and watching as the leaves change. We are also hoping to get out to pick fall raspberries. Raspberry Jam is a family favorite. (Related post: Cider, Snails & Acorns)
INGREDIENTS
1/4 c. shortening
1/2 t. salt
1 c. sugar
1 c. orange juice
1 1/2 T. milk
2 c. flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 – 2 c. chopped apples
1 t. baking soda
Topping:
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together (except topping ingredients) and place in greased loaf pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Little Boy Blue
Little Boy Blue,
Come blow your horn;
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.
Where is the boy who looks after the sheep?
He’s under a haystack, fast asleep.
Will you wake him?
No, not I. For if I do he’s sure to cry.
Oh, the Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need,
The Sun, the Rain and the Appleseed,
The Lord is good to me.
Kindergarten/Preschool Term One Overview: Harvest Time