October Nature

Families, We are focusing of the elements and observations of the season. Please allow your child to bring a "gift from nature" to the nature table. It may be a leaf you pick up on your way to school, for example, noticing it's shape, color, texture and the story of fall it is expressing.

If families would like to bring pumpkins and squashes of various sizes, lovely. Even pumpkins we can open and dig into... maybe we can toast the seeds for a snack! Create a picture on a pumpkin (they draw, i carve.... or does anyone have any safe child-ways of pumpkin carving?) and glow it like a Jack o Lantern. Even cook the pulp and make a pumpkin pudding? Hmmmmm.
If you are driving in countryside and wish to pick up a hay bale or two, awesome.
If you would like to donate some un-fancy children's clothes for scare-crow stuffing, that might be fun for us to do later in the month.
Contributions of pumpkin butter and apple butter and honey would be delicious nature-themed contributions for our snacks.
And also, I thought it might be very nice to make some applesauce together if anyone has a single hotplate we could use (with much caution) in the classroom.
Another idea is tea. Do your children enjoy tea at home? Do any of you have a small plug in self heating pot you'd like to contribute to that cause? Do you have hearty small cups (even expresso cups could work!) -- at least 8 of them?
I'm brain-storming, but am open to some feedback on these ideas.
What ideas would you like to put into the fall-mix?

In Rudolf Steiner's Waldorf vision, a holiday event is created around Michaelmas, in this part of the season. It is a vision of courage over adversity, the conquering of a dragon. I have contemplated this somewhat in its relevance to the children's own "inner dragons." I have appreciated the COURAGE it takes them to let go of their parents and fully accept school. And to face the feelings that come up in the battle. Or to feel the COURAGE it takes to face and work through the frustrations and challenges of sharing and new friendships. It's no small bit of inner umph they are mustering!