Waldorf in the Home

The children at Rainbow Bridge felted wool coverings for bars of soap--making "soap in a sweater"--as presents for their parents. It becomes soap and washcloth in one, and works best with a soap dish in which it can drain. We used Ivory soap, wool roving for the first layer, and colored wool for the outer layer. Here's a picture of them unwrapping the soap when the felting process was finished.

The children at Rainbow Bridge made felted Easter eggs this week. Here are some "tips" on adapting the process to include young children (ours are 1-5 years):
1) For the foundation, use plastic eggs that do NOT open. They're not as common, but you can find bags of them at craft stores.
2) Have the children help you wrap white wool around them and insert into a piece of nylon stocking, tied at both ends (tie one end with a SLIP KNOT so it will be easy to pull out!).
3) Let them "felt" their egg in hotish (warm) soapy water (dish soap works well).
4) When children are leave the project, finish the felting process doing them all together in REALLY HOT water, rinsing in cold water, repeating hot w soap and then cold.
5) Squeeze out as much water as possible and put them all in the dryer for an hour on high--this will really help with the felting process!
6) That night, open the stockings and loosen the felted eggs.
7) Let each child now point to colors of wool to wrap around the egg, and insert it into the stocking, retying with the slip knot. If you want to add the child's name, use MASKING TAPE around a safety pin and a sharpie marker.
8) Repeat the felting and drying process as described above.
9) Remove from the stocking--don't they look lovely!!

A Child's Seasonal Treasury, by Waldorf early childhood teacher Betty Jones, is a valuable resource for any early childhood teacher or parent with young children.

One homeschooling mother wrote: "Although other books were also helpful, A Child's Seasonal Treasury was really all I needed, as it provided me with everything: seasonally based songs, poems, verses, games, activities, and recipes, in a very easy to follow way, and the layout was simple and beautiful. There were books which contained almost too much information, and they overwhelmed me, whereas Ms. Jones' book gave just enough materials and I was sable to actually makes use of what was offered."

In the forward Betty Peck, Anna Rainville and Nancy Mellon write: ""Contained in this one lovely volume is a very generous supply of original and traditional materials for parents and teachers, providing practical ways to engage children while enhancing family or classroom culture....Whenever you are longing for artistic guidance and inspiration with young children, reach for this compendium of treasures.  As early childhood educators we are thrilled and grateful that it is returning to print, and is to be widely available again."

You can learn more and order your copy from www.bettyjones.us.