Hi all, as the last days of school nursery came to a close and over this
past weekend, i have been working feverishly to orgamize the program
for this season.
My 5 year old is my "co-director.". We have been working out
a few minor kinks but all in all year three of this program has gone
quite smoothly thus far.
RHYTHM
8 am to 9 ish am. Arrival
930 am. Puppet play
945 bathroom
10 00 in the car and soon at carpenters woods
10 15 picnic snack in the woods...story telling and exploring..on
Fridays we stay home and do an art project in the back yard or
courtyard
12 15 pack up
12 30 back home for lunch that has been cooking slowing in the
crockpot..this is the "magic pot"
100 under threes to rest
200 over threes to rest
3 to 330 wake up
400 tea time..tea and croissants..on Fridays we head to the trolley
car for ice cream.
430 out in the backyard garden
500 pm pickup
We transition smoothly from step to step...so it is not as rigid a
schedule as it seems.
FEEDING RHYTHM
Snack i hike in with an assortment of crackers, fruits, granola and
sometimes cheeses...and their water bottles. I spread out a blanket
and we enjoy our snack upon reaching base camp.
Lunch: the magic crockpot makes foods according to Steiner's grains of the week:
Monday: Moon: Rice
Tuesday: Mars: Barley Soup
Wednesday: Millet: Cream of wheat with toasted Millet( toasted in
delicious butter)
Thursday: Jupiter: crockpot Apricot Bread...yes you can make bread in
a crockpot!
Friday:Venus: Oats: steel cut oatmeal with soymilk and lots of butter
WEEKLY THEME
The camp runs for 11weeks every two weeks the theme changes
Week one and two: Ladybugs
Week three and four: Fireflies
Week five and six: Rainbows
Week seven and eight Merfolk...you know mermaids and such
Week nine and ten: Bees
Week eleven: Frogs and Toads
PUPPET PLAY
The puppet play each day reflects the theme and i also try to have the
art project for the week incorporate the theme.
ART PROJECTS
These happen once a week on Fridays ..preferably outside in the
courtyard or backyard in lieu of going to the woods. I haven't placed
these on any particular weeks yet, but will keep you posted.
Wet felting balls
Dyeing silks
Making playdough
Making stamps
Gluing a Rainbow pasta suncatcher
Creating God's eyes...you know with the branches and the yarn.
PLEASE BRING
Sun hat
Water bottle
Sturdy shoes or sandals that can get wet..we walk in a small stream
in the woods..up to Ronia's ankles. Sneakers will get soggy..i also
let them go barefoot at our location if they like.
Bathing suit
A bag that you can leave with me that has a change or two of clothes in it.
Girls can of course wear their pretty dresses, but they will get wet
and dirty in the woods..make sure dresses are short for mobility in
climbing trees.
If it's rainy..bring the raingear for that day..by all means.
LUNCH
I provide lunch. This might throw some of you..but it is a good
thing. I have found in the past two years that whatever i have in the
pot for curt and i to eat the other children want to eat anyway.
Also it is nice to maintain group cohesiveness by having the main meal
all one all together. And, won't you just love not having to pack
lunch for your children!
WOODS
I put deet free buzz away on the children just as we enter the woods.
If it is extremely sunny at our location in the woods i put on Badger
balm sumscreen on their arms,ankles noses etc. I still want them to
get their daily dose of vitamin D but without the burn.
I will send a scan of the woods map. We take the green
trail in and walk down to the little bridge. That is where i set up
base camp and have picnic snack. It is a great location and I
encourage you to visit with your little ones and they can show you all
their discoveries.
Some of you die hard hikers might scoff at the smallness of these
woods. :) but for the little ones it is a huge forest. When I tell
forest tales i have to remind them that our woods is just a woods and
that there is nothing living there larger than a bunny rabbit..except
for the dogs that walk througn with their owners.
When we sit on the bridge if they ask for a tale..some I tell are from
A Donsy of Gnomes...about various gnomes that live in a woods similar
to ours named Limindor Woods
Robin Hood ... This is a little old for the under 5 but Curt is into
it. And I edit heavily
Thwacky Bear..a camping story told at a Coffee House
about a Bear and an Avocado
And many other stories from my Golden Book Collection that I have
somewhat committed to memory.
I do try to keep the faery tales to a minimum as they will receive
them in such breadth and depth in the grades but they seem to be
sneaking into children's repertoire earlier and earlier .. If requested
I do provide.
POISON IVY: I look out for it in the woods. Also upon return to my
place..we promplty march directly to the bathroom where I wash down
their arms hands, legs and feet with anti poison ivy soap....This is
castile soap with jewelweed. The jewelweed can bind the resin.
You can check this out online. There is approximately a four hour
window..well some sites say it is anywhere from 15 min to 4 hours
after exposure in which the resin can be washed off with no rash
appearing. I also have ivy block...Here is the web site:
http://www.ivyblock.com/faq.php..if you would like me to apply that to
your child before entering the woods, I will but as it is not a
natural product and more like a medication, I need your approval.
CONTACT
I have my cellphone on me at all times. I have all your
phone numbers in my cell. My cell works just fine in the wooded
location where we play...call or preferably text anytime with your
concerns, questions.
PICKUP
Since this is a laid back sort of summer care program..there is no
real rigid pick up time. You have the Rhythm..so you know
approximately what we are doing and when. If your child needs to be
collected earlier than 330 pm let me know before then so that i can
have them awake and happy for you and maybe even get a snack into
them.
My son, age 5 2/3 dislikes goodbyes it seems. So i would ask
that your pickup be as short as possible and with as little
interaction with me as possible. I know that sounds like a really
anti-social request...and I have to stop my self from chatting with
you because I just love chatting with you all, but Curt gets a bit
rascally at the children's transitioning out of the group and I need
to stick close to him. Of course if you are picking up before
5...there are other children beside my own that are still in my care
whom I need to attend and that's yet another reason we can't have long
goodbyes.
UPDATES
Well if we can't chat at pick up, how will I kmow how my child is doing?
My goal is to send weekly email updates and maybe even some photos
detailing our adventures and play. And of course text or call anytime
after 5 or even during the day..I can sneak in a text or two.
CONCLUSION
Sorry for the long email, but I just like to be thorough. I have everyone's dates
in my calendar, if you need to change something..just let me know
whenever you can...last minute texts are fine as well. i'm pretty
flexible.
With much love and gratitude,
Ms.RockSand
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