The Villager... a newsletter of

Acorn Village Forest School

Issue #6  May 4, 2020

Thank you for all the wonderful feedback from our last email about the school year and summer camp offerings.  It has been our pleasure to hold you with these newsletters, audio stories and songs, and the basket deliveries and will continue to do it through the first week in June.  We look forward wth incredible anticipation towards summer!  Until then, we hope you can feel the hug in the picture above.

 Bugs to find in your backyard

contributed by Teacher Sarah

DID YOU KNOW?  A typical garden snail snail has 14,000 teeth and the slime they leave behind that they use for climbing things with less friction is EDIBLE!

Snail Habitat

contributed by Teacher Tracy

Snails are abundant and often bring damage to our gardens.  Instead of tossing them, smashing them, or otherwise disposing of them, build a habitat with your child.  Here are some items I have used in the past:

*a clear container or terrarium, a lid with airholes is best, because the snails will leave.

*soil and a few sticks for them to climb

*kitchen scrapes like lettuce

*a spray bottle with water, keep it moist.

Shark Escape

a game designed by Teacher Phillip

This is a highly interactive board game. The idea is to create the game together with your child and then play and enjoy it! 

 

Here's the story: All the players are little fish who want to escape from a big shark. At the start, everyone begins inside the open shark's mouth. The goal is for all fish to reach the safe coral cave at the end of the way. The fish take turns rolling the dice and can swim as far as they dice.  Each time a fish swims after dicing and lands on a new field, he or she has to draw a task card. By performing the task, the fish distracts the big shark to help with the escape. These tasks are made up by you and your child beforehand. When a fish finishes a task, he or she keeps the card. When there are no cards left and the game is not yet over, put all the cards back in one pile and start to draw cards again. While one fish will arrive in the cave first, this one is not the winner and the game is not yet over because all the fish must arrive safely. Whoever arrives first will continue dicing for the fish who is the closest to the shark (the farthest away from the cave) to help.When all the fish are safe and sound in the cave together, the game is over.

 

The creation process:

 

 You will need:

  • one large piece of cardboard

  • 20-30 smaller cards cut out of paper

  • a pen

  • a dice

  • some kind of playing figures (e.g. paint some stones, carve some gnomes, grab some pasta)

  • a lot of ideas

 

To do: (this can be done by your child when you feel he or she can do it)

 

You draw a curvy line on the cardboard. Now make circles on the line. At the beginning of the line, you write „Shark Mouth“ and at the end of the line, you write „Coral Cave“. Now write numbers in the circles. Be aware … the more circles and numbers you have, the longer the game will last. I recommend 30-50 circles for 30-50min of play. Then create tasks together with your child for the game and write one task on each of the small cards. You can make as many cards as you want. The more the better, but you want to have at least 20. When your child does not have any idea, just start to write some down so he or she knows what you mean. Your child can also draw their ideas on a card and you write the explanation above it. Here are some task ideas to distract the shark from eating you:

 

  • pinch your neighbour's ear

  • hop on one foot and stick out your tongue

  • go outside and scream really loud

  • tell a super quick story

  • act like an animal and the other players have to guess what you are

  • run around in the garden real fast and come back 

  • smell your neighbour's feet

  • do a somersault

  • tell a riddle

 

To raise some excitement and to make the game more complex, I have some add-ons:

 

  • mark some circles where the fish get into a whirlpool and are blown back to a lower number

  • mark some circles where the fish jump on a trampolin so they are catapulted ahead

  • mark some circles as prisons or bathrooms where the fish has to wait out one round without dicing

  • make some circles where the fish has to guess a riddle asked by another fish (that can be as simple as guessing a person / animal to more complex stuff)

 

Crafternoons- Stitched Birdies

contributed by Teacher Brenda

 

Hi Lovely Families!!! Here is a sweet sewing project for you and your littles.  A little bird that can fly around your house.  Or you can make many and string them up as a garland. 

 

Materials:

Felt (other fabrics can work as well)

Stuffing 

Needle

Thread (embroidery floss works best)

 

Steps:

  1. Trace and cut out 2 bird shapes using pattern. Including wings. 
  2. Sew one wing onto each side of the bird.  Make sure they are facing the right way. Wings can be sewn all the way on, or you can leave them “flapping”.
  3. Start stitching up the bird.  There are many stitches you can use, blanket stitch, whip stitch and running stitch are just a few.  Leave an opening at either the top or bottom of the bird for stuffing.
  4. Stuff the bird. Anything can be used.  Scrap fabric, cotton balls, I’ve even used dried grass.  
  5. Finally sew up the opening 
  6. Now you have a sweet little bird. 

Moment of Zen

contributed by Teacher Tracy

The most terrible, and beautiful, and interesting things happen in a life.  Whatever happens to you, belongs to you.  Make it yours.  Feed it to yourself even when it feels impossible to swallow.  Let it nurture you because it will!

-Cheryl Strayed

Po Box 98
7146062706

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