Category: Play

Joy to Writers: Lessons from 2nd Grade

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 This week, I had the great pleasure of working with our 2nd grade students.  I did a short, guided listening activity in which I gave them multi-step directions and then they drew from memory.  The object they were creating was a girl, a simple shape by shape little girl with a party hat on her head and a present in one hand.  They all followed the directions perfectly. Then I asked them:  What is the girl’s name? Who is the present for?  What happened at the party?  Then on the back of their paper, they were asked to tell a story. It is still amazing to me what young children can do with a simple prompt.

Put Learning in Their Hands

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I’m at a point in my life when I look back and reflect on my decisions, I think about all the steps (and missteps) I’ve made that brought me this far.  The one thing that stands out for me is how working with my hands has been a major theme throughout my childhood, teenage years, and all the decades of my adult life.

Crafting Perseverance in the Wonder Studio

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...the Wonder Studio is a place where no one is telling them what to do; they can devise their own projects and get messy. This is very important to them, and I dare say, it is a crucial part of growing and learning. Children need opportunities to try out ideas, fail, try again, and keep going until they succeed, which in this case comes in the form of felt, wood, beads, hot glue, and cardboard.

Secret Escape: Forest Bathing in October

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Lately, I’ve taken my camera with me to the woods to record the passing of the seasons and to meditate as I walk.  My pace is slow.  I scan my surroundings.  I listen for the wind, the birds and insects. I came across a charm of goldfinches last week.  What a golden treasure they were!  I scout out small hidden places.  I walk in wonder.

Moving into Autumn

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Since the weather has made me sleep in, I finally have time to breathe and relax.  I can have a second cup of tea.  I can leisurely look at my texts and emails.  The cool air makes you yearn for apples, pumpkins, and plum colored sweaters.  It is a good morning to move my summer clothes to storage and get out my wool and plaids.

The Serene Art of Forest Bathing

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The muted, burnished colors reflected in the mountain pools were so incredibly soothing.  They blended together in wavy lines.  The trees, the leaves, the water became one, and I wanted to plunge in and cover myself in autumnal splendor.  It is in these moments that the real and the imagined join forces and cast a magical energy.

Shifting Focus: From Work to Art

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This week, I found the Alie Ward’s podcast “Why Humans Require Hobbies” on her Ologies website. The podcast featured the writer, Julia Holtz, who wrote The Connection Cure, which centers on what matters to you in treating and preventing illnesses.  Julia is a salugenologist – simply meaning she studies what makes us healthy. Her book explains the science behind going into nature, what makes you happy, and making time for hobbies.  This topic got my attention because I am gradually, and I mean grad…u…al…ly shifting from school being the center of my life to art being the center of my life.

Welcoming Autumn: Home in the Woods

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It's not easy settling back in even though I have had a lot of practice!  My mind is a jumble, my home is a mess of summer and school paraphernalia, and there are lists upon lists upon list of things to accomplish. It takes at least the first two weeks of September to feel back home in my rightful place.  The sacks of apples and displays of assorted pumpkins at the grocery store helps.  Autumn is coming, and I can take a deep breath, find an easy rhythm, and enjoy what is unfolding before me.