Our focus this week has been on the Seasons. Outside, for most of the week, it's been raining but in our tiny home we've seen a whole year of weather - from sunny seaside days, brightly coloured falling leaves and spring lambs! It's been a fantastic way to spend our mornings!
I used ideas from the maths main lesson on 'Time' from A Journey through Waldorf Maths by Melisa Nielson and then just incorporated my eclectic approach from there. The chalkboard drawing idea was borrowed from here (she has some good stuff happening at her place!) but I needed to tweak it to suit our seasons and our life.
Of course, in usual Steiner style there was a beautiful verse to memorise, but also as usual it was only useful to those in the Northern Hemisphere. So whats a mama in the south to do?
Well this mama, who likes to utter words of wisdom in poetic form from time to time, (yes they do roll their eyes!) thought she'd have a go at 'fixing' it to suit her little dears. And I would like to share it with any other mamas out there on the Southern end of the globe.
January brings swimming fun,
Picnics, flies and lots of sun.
Flowers droop and creeks are dry,
When February passes by.
Yellow turn the fields of grain;
With March sun and March rain.
Aprils fruit is good to see,
On pear and plum and apple tree.
Cool Mays leaves come fluttering down,
In shades of russet, gold and brown.
Cold Junes gift is rich and rare,
There's beauty in the branches bare.
July makes noses bright and red;
Puts scarves and beanies on our head.
August winds bring ice and snow;
But hark, the roots begin to grow.
September brings sweet flowers bright;
Daffodils all yellow and white.
Octobers blossoms - pink and gold;
Posies for small hands to hold.
Novembers here, and warmth abounds,
Paddocks greening all around.
December, season of Christmas cheer:
Gifts, good food and ginger beer.
The original verse is from The Crowning of the Year by Juliet Compton-Burnett and is very lovely but just didn't work for us down under! I hope this was OK to do..... but it's done now and we are very thankful that she wrote such a nice original!
Pictured below are our Main Lesson books complete with drawings that suited the words.
Oops, I just noticed that my little man forgot to add the 'beanies'!!
Even Miss Elli joined in because after all who doesn't enjoy a spot of colouring in on a rainy day - as opposed to doing regular book work! I'll let you in on a little secret - I'm really loving the excuse chance to do all these colourful drawings. With this Steiner curriculum (I'm mostly using the Christopherus curriculum but with my eclectic bent) I get to do loads of drawing and colouring....bliss!!
This verse is designed to suit us here in Tasmania but if you are in Northern Australia or some other southern hemisphere country, maybe you can tweak it again and add what ever happens in your area in any given month. I had a lovely time working it out and then drawing pics to match.
Thanks for stopping by!
