"We serve our children well when we turn their attention to the stones, the grasses and flowers, the trees and animals by finding meaningful and creative ways to allow nature to enter our classrooms and play areas, and by bringing our children out into nature as much as possible." ~Carol Petrash

Nature has a story to tell...

Each week, Ms. Annette will tell a nature story, which we will follow up by creating a nature craft that can be displayed in your home. We will use natural materials whenever possible, and learners will be encouraged to engage in "earth-sound" practices, reusing, repurposing, and repairing items whenever possible. 

My teaching style centers around the three Cs-- collaboration, cooperation, and creativity. Using the framework below, I am so excited to hear the ideas your learner brings to the online classroom as we make connections and celebrate the diversity found in stories from around the world. Materials for each week will be listed the week before and children will be encouraged to share pictures of their finished projects and their nature tables in the online classroom.

AUTUMN SESSION
September 13
Story: The Summer Fairy Says Goodbye
Craft: Nature People from Natural Materials
Supplies:  
Treasures Mother Nature has left for you, such as pine cones, pretty leaves, seed pods, nuts, acorns and acorn caps, flowers, twigs, rocks
Additional craft materials from home, such as ribbons or fabric or construction paper or wool roving
Glue, clay, or modeling beeswax to hold it all together
Heavy paper or cardstock if you want to glue materials to paper 

September 20
Story: The Butterflies' Trip
Craft: Clothespin Butterflies
Supplies:
Colored tissue paper-- may be cut or torn to size
One pipe cleaner (also called chenille stems)
One old-fashioned slotted clothespin
Crayons, stickers, etc for decorating

September 27
Story: Hobgoblin and The Prince of the Forest
Craft: Deer Antler Crown (or a Crown of Sticks)
Supplies:
A pile of dry, colorful leaves-- may also be cut from felt or paper
Gathered sticks-- two with antler-like outshoots for a deer crown or enough to go around the circumference of your child's head for a stick crown
Cardboard cut in a "band" that will wrap around your child's head. This will be the base of the crown.
Scissors (adult or child's)
Something to decorate the leaves and/or sticks-- this could be a white paint pen, a sharpie that will show up, glitter glue if you're super adventurous
Clear, strong tape
Glue
Afterwards, grown ups may want to reinforce leaves and sticks with a glue gun

October 4
Story: The Crying Tree
Craft: Leaf Banner
Supplies:
Cover your work space, cause this could get messy! I highly suggest an apron or paint shirt for this one as well.
Natural colored cotton, muslin, or canvas (like a drop cloth) cut in 8-inch squares. Some craft stores sell these banners precut for decorating
Several large leaves that are still holding their form. Color doesn't matter.
Old toothbrushes or paint brushes with stiff bristles
Paint in fall colors (red, yellow, brown)
For hanging: A branch slightly wider than the banner, tacks or a stapler, yarn or string

October 11
Story: Three Little Squirrels
Craft: Egg Carton Acorn Shakers
A cardboard (not Styrofoam) egg carton with each egg cup cut out individually. Make sure you have two that can fit together to be the acorn and its cap
GROWN UP JOB! Before class, poke a hole in the top of the "cap" and thread with a brown ribbon, pipe cleaner, and anything else you think will make a good "handle"
Brown and green paint and brushes
Some acorns and caps if you have them
You can fill the shaker with acorns if they're small enough or beads
Clear, strong tape to fit the acorn and cap together

October 18
Story: Quack's Journey
Craft: Duck Pond Moving Picture
BEFORE CLASS: Your child might enjoy painting a large sheet of watercolor paper with blue to make a pond. They could also use a block crayon to color the pond, or may simply use a sheet of blue paper, the heavier the better
Small circles of white paper, about the circumference of a cup-- at least three, more if desired
Popsicle sticks
Glue or tape
Drawing materials-- markers, crayons, colored pencils, whatever your child feel comfortable using
Scissors to cut the slits for the "puppets" we make-- This is a grown up job!

October 25
Story: Pumpkin, Pumpkin!
Craft: Pumpkin Painting
A small pumpkin
Paint
Paintbrushes
Water for cleaning brushes
Table and child paint protection 

November 1
Story: A Harvest Story
Craft: Wheat and Grass Weaving
Wheat on the stalk or tall pieces of grass. If you don't have access to these, you may want to check with your local farmers' ,arket
Tub of water
Red yarn
Children are also invited to wear a "harvest crown"-- perhaps the crown we made earlier, or a crown they've made or found-- for a game we will play

November 8
Story: The Shrinking Day
Craft: Lanterns
Supplies:
Heavy white paper, 9x12 or 12x16
Crayons, oil or chalk pastels, or colored pencils
Scissors
Stapler
Tacky glue, white glue, glue sticks
Tape
A strip of paper for the handle-- you can attach it with brads/paper fasteners or by stapling
A battery operated tea light


November 15
Story: An Autumn Story
Craft: Hedgehogs from Natural Materials
Supplies:
Pencil
Kid scissors
Cardstock in various autumn colors
Glue
A collection of materials left for you from Mother Nature
Google eyes or markers
Black pom pom or black marker
AND
Terra cotta or brown clay
A LOT of small sticks to be the hedgehog spikes