A Halloween Story for Little Ones

The following story is one that was told to children in the early 1900’s. It is a sweet story of how friendship and love can light up our lives. To enhance this tale, you can have a pumpkin that you have already carved out nearby and a small stuffed or felted cat placed gently inside (place a napkin or cloth inside to protect your toy). 

A Halloween Story 

Once upon a time a big orange pumpkin was growing just outside a stone wall, far off in a field, all alone. The farmer had gathered all his pumpkins and stored them carefully in his great barn. But no one knew of the big orange pumpkin growing just outside the wall, all alone. The big orange pumpkin was lonely. 

"I wish I belonged to someone," said he. 

"Meow, Meow! I do, too," cried a little black cat, stretching herself and jumping down from the stone wall where she had been sleeping. 

"It will soon be winter," said the big orange pumpkin; "let's go find some one to belong to." 

"Yes, let's do," said the little black cat, eagerly. 

"I want to belong to a little girl with a sweet face and shining eyes." 

"And I," said the big orange pumpkin, "want to belong to a jolly little boy who whistles and sings when he works. Let's hurry right away to find them." 

"Yes, let's do," said the little black cat. 

So off they started - the big orange pumpkin rolling and tumbling along, and chuckling to himself as he went, and the little black cat pit patting along on her soft little cushions, purring because she was happy. 

On and on they went, over the fields and through the woods. It began to grow cold, oh, so cold, and dark, too. The little black cat shivered as the wind whistled through the trees. 

"See here," said the big orange pumpkin, "you can't sleep outdoors tonight. What shall we do?" Just then they saw a man coming along the path with a bundle of wood on his back. 

"Ho, Mr. Woodcutter!" cried the pumpkin, "have you a knife?" "That I have," said the merry woodsman. 

"What can I do for you, my fine fellow?" "Just cut off a piece of my shell where the stem is, and scoop out some of my seeds, if you please," said the pumpkin. 

No sooner said than done. "There, my little black cat," said the pumpkin, "when you wish to sleep tonight, you may curl inside and be as warm as a sunbeam." 

"But will you not come home with me?" asked the woodsman. 

"Have you a little girl with a sweet face and shining eyes?" asked the little black cat. 

"Have you a jolly little boy who whistles and sings when he works?" asked the big orange pumpkin. 

"No, ah, no," said the woodsman, "but I have a pig and some hens." 

"Then we'll go on," said the pumpkin, "but thank you kindly." 

So on they went, and on, until the stars began to shine. Then the tired little cat curled in her hollow nest, put on the cover, and went to sleep. 

In the morning they went on again, but before long it began to rain. The cat's soft fur was soon very wet. 

"You poor little thing," said the big orange pumpkin; "curl inside your house and I will trundle you along." 

"But it's so dark inside, and I couldn't see where we were going," cried the cat, holding up a tiny, dripping paw. 

"Windows!" cried the pumpkin. "Of course, windows! How silly of me! Wait here under this fence, my little friend, until I come back."

Then off he hurried across the road to a carpenter's shop. "Ho, Mr. Carpenter!" cried the pumpkin, "have you a knife?" 

"That I have," said the jolly carpenter. "What can I do for you, my fine fellow?" 

"Just cut some windows for me, if you please." 

So the carpenter took a sharp knife and cut four windows - just like a face he made them, two for eyes, one for a nose, and one for a mouth, and he laughed as he did it. 

When he finished the mouth, the pumpkin laughed too. "Ha, ha, ha!" cried he. "What a relief to have a mouth to laugh with! Ha, ha, ha!" And he laughed all the way back in the rain to where the little shivering cat was waiting. And she laughed, too, and climbed inside her coach, and put on the cover. 

So on through the rain they went, and on and on. Just as dark was drawing near, they came to a wee, brown house by the side of the road. In the yard was a little boy picking up chips and putting them into a big basket. He whistled as he worked, and then he began to sing: 

"If wishes were horses, then beggars might ride; If turnips were watches, I'd wear one by my side." 

Then the door opened, and a little girl with a sweet face and shining eyes stood on the threshold. "What do you wish, John?" she called. 

"Oh," laughed the boy, as he came in with the chips. "I wish I had a pumpkin for a Jack-O-Lantern, for this is Halloween." 

"And I wish I had a little black cat to love," said the little girl. 

"This is the place for us!" whispered the big orange pumpkin; and he rolled up to the door, bumpity bump! 

"Look, John!" cried the little girl, "here's our Jack-O-Lantern! The fairies must have sent it. Isn't it a beauty?"

 "There's something inside," said John, snatching off the cover, and out jumped a tiny black cat, straight into the little girl's arms. 

"Oh, oh!" they cried. 

And when mother came home in the dark, a jolly Jack-O-Lantern with a candle inside was shining out of the window at her, and close beside it sat a little black cat all cozy and warm.

To Homeschool or Not To Homeschool (or Hybrid.. or Digital..Oh My!)

 

To Homeschool or Not To Homeschool.. (or Hybrid.. or Digital.. Oh My!)

Posted by Eileen Foley on 23rd Aug 2020

The new school year is fast approaching and in this crazy world we are now navigating, so many parents are trying to make the best decisions they can for their children. There is a huge uptick in homeschooling, many districts are allowing digital learning and hybrid options and I am hearing from so many parents that they are stressed, concerned, worried and confused on how to proceed.

Each family has their own individual needs and situation and there is truly no right or wrong answer that can fit all. As a matter of fact, many families may decide on different options for different children in their household. For those families who are choosing to homeschool, I am so excited to have completed my First Grade Curriculum. I have already been offering the Preschool/Kindergarten Curriculum for those with younger children. I will next begin writing the Second Grade Curriculum this autumn with a select group of testers receiving the files early in raw format at a discounted rate.

Other families who are sending their child off to school in some fashion have decided to supplement at home with our Afterschool Guides to help make this school year a big more magical under the circumstances.

After numerous requests for mentorship, I have opened up slots for parents who just need real life support. Being a parent and teacher is so rewarding but it can also be overwhelming and isolating, especially in these very difficult times of social distancing. I am here for you as a friend, experienced mother and educator and I will do my best to bring my experience into our discussions to help you.

Whatever your family decides, remember you are not alone - you are doing a wonderful job - and your love and concern for your child will guide you. Wishing you a very safe and healthy school year ahead.

Eileen 

*beautiful homeschool classroom photo submitted by @movedbythemoon_swayedbythesea (Instagram Account)

Homemade Butter Making with Children

This is such a simple and fun activity to do with small children.

First just fill a clean glass baby food jar half full with heavy cream and add a small amount of salt.

Then shake, shake, shake!!!!!! Shake for as long as you can - it will take up to 10 minutes until your butter is made.

Then watch their little faces when you open up the jars!

And enjoy your fresh butter on crackers or bread for snack!

Have fun!

Working with Beeswax

An old 2010 blog post that I am repurposing as this trick of the trade is well worth sharing again!


Over the years, the girls and I have had a love/hate relationship with modeling beeswax. In Waldorf circles, the wax is an integral part of a child's crafting and education. It is natural, safe and has such a soothing and beautiful smell. The color choices are endless and when left with their imagination - children can create the most beautiful scenes and items... the experience doesn't even come close to playdough or clay.
The difficulty (and frustration) that we often had with working with modeling beeswax was that it is very hard when it comes out of the packaging... and in order to manipulate the material, it must first be warmed until it becomes soft and workable.

The positive to this is that it supports what we are trying to teach the children in this super fast paced world.... that our creations, our art and our time should be spent mindfully and slowly - with patience and love. Warming the beeswax is just as much a part of the process as modeling with it is... which is one of the many reasons I love the Waldorf model of education, as it keeps the whole child and the whole experience in mind.

The negative to this is that it can become very challenging (especially when working with large groups or when wanting to use more than one color to create)... to warm the beeswax in your hands **all** of the time. So, we experimented with various techniques... using a warm blow dryer beforehand or tucking the wax under our arms as we worked on another activity. And sometimes it was good that way... but more often, the children lost interest and would choose something else to work with knowing the process would take a very long time.

It wasn't until we took Stockmar's instruction to place our wax in warm water before working with it that we REALLY began to enjoy the experience.

The girls are SO hooked. They will sit for hours creating full scenes and then playing them out... they make faces, and hair, and flowers, and trees... rivers and fish and I could go on and on...

Today they made flower children.... it is one of many simple tutorials that Stockmar offers HERE

For young children, I sometimes have them hold/warm a bit of modeling beeswax during nap time... its something soothing and quiet to do with their hands as they drift off and the smell is just as calming.

Here are the girls' flower children... but the fun didn't stop here..

Then they found every little ball that was leftover around our house and warmed it to make 'accessories'...

Here is a little scene they set up with a river (the blue silk), a bridge (the rocks), a boat (a flat piece of blue Agate) and their flower children and 'food'...

I had to pull them away to eat dinner and get ready for bed... and then they begged for a few more minutes to play....

The product is not cheap... but can be used over and over again. And, I think, that our children should be given the gift of working with quality material and learning to appreciate and care for their supplies.

So You Can't Afford a Waldorf School...

 (photos from my Kindergarten classroom where I used to teach at my local Waldorf school)

But what can you do? 

~ You can create a healthy rhythm to each day your children live within your home.

~ You can keep the television and radio off while you are living, loving and creating together.

~ You can choose a select few open-ended toys, a special doll and playthings made from natural materials... keeping electronic, battery operated toys and video games to a minimum - if at all.

~ You can sing and make up stories together.

~ You can do your schoolwork outside on the deck and incorporate artistic methods for practicing and learning.

~ You can focus on all you CAN provide and remember how very lucky you and your children already are.

~ You can remember that the study of Anthroposophy was never meant to be only for the rich... that anyone who longs and strives to know more about the layers of the Self and the Universe around them is welcome to seek and find their own truth REGARDLESS of the educational model they choose for their children. It is not a club. It is for all to enter...Welcome.

~ You can cherish your role as caregiver, homemaker and Your Child's Very First Teacher as a spiritual task and sacred work to be done and set a beautiful example for your children as you do so.

~ You can choose to live within this world on YOUR terms, protecting what you hold to be sacred and true for your family. It is OK to say NO to what seems the rest of the world is doing but feels wrong for you... in doing so, you set the stage for others to follow - and will soon see that there are many more parents like you than you originally thought and you will find your clan wherever you are.

~ You can take care of your own health, interests, desires and creative energies first and be whole and complete to be the amazing parent you long to be for your children.

~ You can accept the fact that we cannot create a perfect world or scenario for ourselves or our children as much as we try. This world is imperfect and so are we. BUT we can work with what we have to create a BEAUTIFUL and FULL existence while we are here. There is beauty in diversity, embrace the world for what it is.

~ You can celebrate the Festivals and Holidays with song, crafting, recipes and community... creating memories and traditions that your children will carry with them forever.

~ You can choose natural fibers when dressing your children and always remember the importance of warmth.

~ You can be an advocate for all children in your community, your school and home and speak up to help create the change you hope to see in our world.

~ You can slow down... pass on a few after school classes, keep your weekends open and pull out a bunch of board games or go on a hike instead.

~ You can teach your children to appreciate creativity... to use their hands even when not using them may be easier... to knit.. to sew... to cook from scratch.

~ You can keep a seasonal table in your home and encourage your children to add to it with the changing seasons and festivals.

~ You can approach learning, homework or study more holistically - practicing multiplication by using rhythm sticks or sharing fairy tales that incorporate spelling words.

~ You can encourage and inspire your children's teachers and board of education with articles, suggestions, example and ideas.

~ You can volunteer to teach your children's class how to knit.

~ You can host advent spirals, lantern walks and other celebrations for your community or school.

~ You can light a candle and say a sweet blessing at mealtimes.

~ You can have special afternoon for beeswax play, another for watercolor painting, another for baking and so on...

~ You can spend a good amount of your time outdoors with your children.

~ You can remember that the World is ultimately GOOD and seek to find the goodness in all you do and wherever you are. Look for the beauty. It is there. 

~ You can be proud to be a Waldorf Afterschooler or Waldorf Homeschooler.

~ Oh! And a shameless little plug... you CAN use our Afterschooling Enrichment Program or other Little Acorn Learning guides to supplement your child's education AND you can joint our Waldorf Afterschoolers Facebook Group for support!

Good luck on your journey - whatever it may be.

I'd love to add to this list - please feel free to do so in the comments section below...

With love.

xoxo

Eileen is a former Waldorf Early Childhood teacher, work at home mother and the owner and publisher of Little Acorn Learning. The Little Acorn Learning guides have captured the hearts of caregivers and children all over the world. Based on seasonal themes and festivals, Little Acorn Learning inspires a love of nature and the home arts while supporting the caregiver's soul. Be sure to join the mailing list to receive special offers, FREE lessons, verses, songs, recipes and much more each month right in your inbox. And please follow Little Acorn Learning on Facebook and Instagram to continue to be inspired in your work with children. 

The Feast of Saint Francis

The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi is today, October 4th.  

Photo by Cindy Wallach with Permission

Legends of St. Francis describe him as a gentle and generous man who loved and protected animals. He was said to be able to connect religion with nature and find the Divine in all living things. What a beautiful concept to teach our children (and ourselves): "To find the Divine in all living things". 

Learning about Saints is a part of the second grade curriculum in Waldorf Education. Telling the stories of Saints and Heroes is a way to introduce the idea of a regular, imperfect human being transforming into something great. Many Christian faiths also celebrate the Saints, however; you do not have to come from a particular religious background to appreciate the sentiment and importance of helping children foster a love for animals and the natural world. 

Some ideas for you to celebrate this special time with the children this week:

- Volunteer at your local animal shelter

- Bake special treats for the animals you love

- Make pinecone bird feeders

- Create a wildlife journal and sketch and record all the animals you see 

- Go for a walk with a special pet

- Offer to help care for animals in your neighborhood

- Collect food and supplies for pets in need

- Attend an Animal Blessing held by a local place of worship

- Go birdwatching

- Put out a birdbath

- Start a pet sitting business

- Donate to an animal rescue foundation

- Consider becoming an animal foster family

What are ways that you help teach your children to respect and appreciate animal life?  One of our followers indicated that they do so by being a vegetarian family.  We'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

Brand New August Book from Little Acorn Learning!

We've been working hard to complete our series and give you the missing August Five Day guide! This wonderful e-book is full of natural learning opportunities this summer! Complete your collection and grab it now!

Four Weeks of Blessings, Verses, Nature Walks, Crafts, Recipes, Children's Meditations, Caregiver Meditations, Outdoor Suggestions, Stories, Fingerplays and More!

The Daily Guide Included FREE with Your Purchase

Week One, August

Wild Herbs and Flowers, Healing

Week Two, August

The Ladybug, Gentleness

Week Three, August

Starfish and Seahorses, Movement

Week Four, August

The Unicorn, Imagination

http://www.littleacornlearning.com

Learning Together in Nature

This little video says it all.. this is exactly why I love doing what I do so much.  It was taken the very last day of the Forest Preschool session and is such a beautiful memory for me to capture. 

 I love that the weather is warm and we can be outside so much again.  School is still in session until Thursday but the girls have been enjoying playing in the back woods, in the garden area and in our pool after school each day.  It makes striving for media-free more realistic in our home when the weather is nice like this.  Those very cold nasty winters are hard to handle sometimes.

  

One of the wonderful parts about running outdoor programs in town is that my own children get to come to work with me.  I take Maia and Bree to Nature Club on Saturdays with me and I love being able to share these outdoor learning moments together and still help provide for my family financially. 

 We did so many fun things together in both the forest preschool and nature club programs.  We learned about life cycles, went on fun scavenger hunts.. leaf hunts...

Played outside with new friends in the fresh air for hours...

Collected some bugs, climbed some trees... 

 Found some cool discoveries... 

Identified trees

  

by sorting and analyzing their leaves and looking up which species they came from.

It's been busy... and fun... and soon I will be starting new classes in my home such as Nature Detectives where we will make sundials, dissect owl pellets, learn about metamorphosis and create a weather watcher.  I also will be teaching a learning to crochet class and a waldorf friends class for smaller children.  

I'm excited about the great response to these programs in town and I'm also trying to keep my online writing active as well as the photo contests and newsletters for Little Acorn Learning and my e-book sales.  I've been working on my new website for over a year now but have not been able to put the hours into it that I need to launch.  It's busy but I've missed focusing on my work this way and as long as I can keep a good routine in place, I think I will be able to create some balance.

Full Worm Moon Today - Build a Wormery with Your Children!

Today we welcome the Full Worm Moon. Go outside with your children tonight and look for the beautiful moon together!

It is hard to imagine the ground softening any time soon here in Connecticut. Today my girls are enjoying a snow day!  

 After seeing my youngest daughter's artwork today, I guess I'm not the only one dreaming of SPRING!  

But, while I am really getting tired of the cold weather here, I do love making a warm fire and having everyone home with a clear schedule and nothing to do but play and go sledding with friends.

For those of you in warmer climates, I have shared a FREE tutorial on how to make your own wormery with your children in our new Little Acorn Learning Group Discussion Page on Facebook. 

Just request to join and I will let you in the group.  Please no promoting of your businesses or products.  This group is a support place for our  members and followers.  I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to share it with your Facebook friends!

From the Farmer's Almanac "At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. In some regions, this is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins."