Rod puppets

I have been having a wonderful time making rod puppets. Such magical beings!

Natures Play dough

So easy and fun to make.
Here's the recipe one of the wonderful parents at my school shared with me. She found it on line at Waldorf in the Season of Life, its called Lucy's playdoh:

Recipe:

2 cups flour
2 cups water
1cup salt
1tbs oil
4tsp cream of tartar

You mix all the ingredients together in a stove pot and cook the mixture on low for 5 to 10 minutes until it has reach your desired consistence.  To help it last a long time keep it in the refrigerator in a airtight container. Enjoy! We took out all of my grandmothers old cookie cutters and made a cookie factory!

Dragon Bread!

All the children hard at work

Putting all the dragon scales on with sliced almonds

What a wonderful day for dragon bread. The children were so excited to make one big dragon all together.  We made a wheat  and a gluten free dragon decorating it with almond slices for scales. I used a very simple recipe for both breads and everyone was pleased with the final taste.

Gluten Free Recipe:

The gluten free dragon ready for the oven

1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp yeast
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 eggs or egg substitute
1 1/2 cups warm water
 Mix dry ingredients and wet separately. Then mix them together and add brown rice as needed to make a easy to shape ball of dough. Once shaped into a beautiful dragon cook at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes Let stand for 5 and enjoy!!

Whole Wheat Flour Bread Recipe:

The recipe I used is taken from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman it is bread made easy and all you need is a food processor. The book it's self is amazing and I recommend it to anyone who love simple and amazing food.

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Wheat bread out of the oven

1/12 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp honey
1 cup water

All all ingredient into your food processor except the water.  Turn in food processor and slowly add water in a small drizzle until all the water has been added ( about 1 min). The bread will begin to form and make and ball once it has reached this stage the bread dough is done. For more in depth information see How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. 

From here allow bread to rise and them form into you dragon and cook at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, let stand and enjoy!!

Gluten free bread right out of the oven

Dragons

 With Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael approaching it was time for a little dragon fun.  This craft was inspired by a tissue paper hat.  I drew a dragon and copied it on our school printer due to the amount of children I work with.  Then I cut up colorful tissue paper in small piece for an easy crumple.  Each child with free to color and dress up their dragon with crayons and tissue dots.  To make the tissue dot crumple the paper and lightly dip it into glue and let the magic unfold. 

Candle Wax Boats

These are wonderful little candle boats that I made using a very simple wax kit that can be bought at Micheals. I used a old jar and melted the wax in a pot of water. Then very carefully poured it in to the pods. With the heat of the hot wax it is not an activity to do with children- but was a magical boat!!   Enjoy

Pom Poms

Apple so Red
How it went. It was really fun for the children they said they felt like their where wrapping pasta on a fork.  We made wonderful red apples and found the easiest way to tie them was take the whole bundle of yarn off the fork, find the middle and cut it in half, then lay it down on the table and use another piece of yarn to tie the middle tight.

Toa of Craft

A blog that I am finding wonderful ideas in is the Tao of Craft. Such a beautiful bright blog with so many different offerings. I made gnome houses with my children at school and got the idea here.  They were so simple to make and the children loved them. The photo that inspired me to make the houses with the children came from a camp that tao of craft's children went to at a Roaring Fork's Waldorf School The camp is called Camp Oginali. Enjoy.

Pom Pom Apples for All

Today with the children I am going to be making pom-pom apples out of a red yarn that I found at a thrift store.  I saw a photo of how you can make them by wrapping them around a fork but with another look today the blog is not up and  running at the moment so I will include this link oddsockworld. Enjoy

Sand Paper Fun

This are some wonder rounds of wood that my friend and coworker brought for the children to sand they love to sit and sand, its very relaxing work. The picture above is a very sweet family with four children who's story and crafts can be found in this wonderful blog lakesuperiorchildrenshouse.

Fall is Here

What a wonderful time of the year. Here in Encinitas that season are a little slower to show their change and beauty, but you can feel that differences in the air.  It feels fresh and cooler then the summers heat.

The Magic of Rod Puppets

Mother and Child. Here is a rod puppet that I made in a wonderful weekend workshop 

with Suzanne Down through Juniper Tree enjoy the magic!!

Becoming a Waldor Teacher

What a wonderful experience it has been being a teacher!!

Gnome Sailing

This is a wonderful and easy project that can all be made in a ziplock bag.  It is a little play mat that can be taken anywhere and easily rolled up for on the go fun.  I made two little blue sea people that sail the open seas in their little walnut boat.  Enjoy.

Nightingale