Every November, the lantern walk was a tradition I looked forward to with my children at our Waldorf school. They would make beautiful lanterns in class, sometimes out of colorful paper or tin cans, sometimes out of jars and leaves, and we would all bundle up and meet on Martinmas to walk through the dark night singing cheery lantern songs. We did a couple of our own lantern walks at home when ...
Waldorf Education
A Waldorf Graduation
You may have noticed things have been quite on this blog lately, and that is because we have been busy wrapping up 8 years at our Waldorf school with my kids graduation last week. A Waldorf education was something I just knew as a parent that I needed to make happen for my kids, and seeing it through 8th grade graduation was a big goal. It has taken a lot of hard work and perseverance all around, ...
Another Fair May Faire
May Faire at our Waldorf school is a tradition I look forward to every year to ring in the flowering of the season. The Maypole dance, the flower crowns, the live music, the games booths, the plant sale and the bakery booth have all become interwoven in my experience of May. It can be a big undertaking for the school community and parent volunteers to put on, but it always comes together ...
Gathering Around the Maypole
It's May Day and almost time for our Waldorf School's annual May Faire! I am busily crafting away, working with wool, roots, moss and sticks to create things to sell in my Mountain Hearth Handcrafts booth. I recently finished a needlefelted wool wall hanging of a maypole dance in honor of the occasion. It is similar to one I made a few years ago, but I am pleased to see how the unique ...
Lantern Light
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Walking With My Lantern
"The sunlight fast is dwindling, My little lamp needs kindling. Its beam shines far in darkest night. Dear lantern guard me With your light." In this time of year when the days grow shorter and Winter draws near, parents and children involved with Waldorf Schools all over the world are making beautiful handmade lanterns and holding Martinmas lantern walks. As my children have gotten ...
A Merry May Faire
This past weekend, our Waldorf School held the annual May Faire on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Everyone gathered around the maypole in the lower field, creating a bustling circle of community fun. With Spring in full swing, it seemed as though everyone was emerging from social hibernation and coming out of the woodwork to co-create this beautiful, ancient festival together. This year, my ...
Draft Horse Field Trip
The third grade school year is drawing to a close for my children at our local Waldorf school, and they have been busy measuring, digging, and always learning. For those of you unfamiliar with the Waldorf education model, the third grade curriculum focuses on living on the earth, covering such things as shelter, building, farming, cooking, and working with fibers. Reading this, you probably ...
May Faire
With Spring here at long last, it was time for our Waldorf School's annual May Faire. Year after year, rain or shine, the community puts a lot of work and a lot of love into creating a festival in honor of the season. This year, in spite of a little early morning rain, we all gathered around the May Pole and shared in beautiful music, dancing, homemade food, art and games. The day was a ...
Santa Lucia Day
What little girl wouldn't love to dress up like a Queen of Light with a crown of greens and candles and pass out warm baked goods? It's St. Lucia's day, and in Swedish homes and Waldorf Schools everywhere, a happy little girl is leading a procession through the house, or school halls, or village streets passing out those heavenly golden saffron buns. At our school, the second grade does the Santa ...