Welcome Autumn

Yesterday was the autumn equinox, marking the beginning of fall in the northern hemisphere. I went to update our nature table only to discover that it was still displaying its winter decorations! These past six months have been so tumultuous that I guess I just forgot about marking the changing of the seasons. Maybe that's why it feels like time has passed so quickly lately?

At any rate, the crisp weather lately has me noticing nature more and anticipating the new beautiful colors the trees will soon be wearing (although I do love the green, too). So I pulled out a couple of our favorite autumn stories and have started planning some crafts and treats to go along with the new season.

The two little books I have on display are fall favorites here. All of the Elsa Beskow books are so sweet, but Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip is perfect for fall. Two acorn children, Woody and Little Pip get carried away by the wind and little Hazel hitches a ride in Mr. Squirrel's tail when he goes to find them. It's a bit long, so when the boys were little we would read it in two sittings. This Swedish picture book was originally published in 1939 and it's the perfect book to read before going out to collect acorns or create a fall fairy garden.

The Autumn Story is another lovely Brambly Hedge book with beautiful, detailed illustrations. The mice of The Brambly Hedge are busy trying to finish the harvest before bad weather arrives. Primrose, Lord Woodmouse's daughter, goes for a walk and gets lost and finds herself alone in the dark. The Brambly Hedge website has activities and tasty recipes to go with each seasonal book.

It's interesting that both of my fall books involve characters being lost (although Primrose is much more upset about the situation, Woody and Little Pip are just having a blast!). I think sometimes fall brings with it an element of fear. The days are getting shorter, there's a hint of the cold that's to come, and it's human nature to feel a bit of dread. Waldorf education faces this head on with a Michaelmas celebration. This post explains it in greater detail, but the general idea is to deal with our personal dragons and face the coming darkness with courage... and crafts! Check out these links to help get ready to face your own dragons.

Here's a lovely site with directions for using goldenrod to dye capes! 

Here are directions for making your own homemade wooden swords. 

And don't forget the dragons!