Buddies ~ autumn

***In September 2011 6 families got together and started Buddies Home School. Each week we meet in each other's home and follow a simple rhythm: movement and music, craft/ baking, snack time, free play and story time. Each part of the session is led by a different family. We are sharing this week's session with you here...***

This week at Buddies we celebrated autumn some more. Last year, one of the first crafts we did together at Buddies was making autumn crowns. This was such a success we decided to ask Amanda to do it again with us:

 First we folded a length of newspaper,

then fitted it around our heads, cutting off any excess:

 Then we mixed some pva glue with some green paint

 which we painted onto our newspaper crowns:

 Next we stuck on beautiful leaves that Amanda had gathered for us:

 we also stuck on some cut out paper leaves, conkers and well anything that didn't move!

 For a bit of bling we squeezed on some glitter glue:

They turned out so beautifully and each so individual and we found that they really seemed to represent each of the Buddies wee personalities.

Amanda, the queen of autumn!

While we were crafting the Buddette's were busy playing on the rug together reading stories and becoming friends. It's so special to see the next generation of Buddies emerging and starting to move towards a safe and gentle independence (there was not a sling in sight in this session!)

 During play time and snack time the Buddies split into groups, the Buddettes staying in the kitchen and playing quietly, the boys went off outside and the girls got out paper and crayons and quietly drew.

 Next they all merged in the kitchen before heading off again, this time the girls to get dressed up and the boys to find a gun and play a more boisterous game (or should that be boy-sterous!) that ended up with the boys chasing the girls around the house.

 It is so fascinating how different the energy in the group is when there is more of an equal boy-girl balance...makes me really realize how important a balance of sexes is in life in general.

When the game got too rowdy we cleaned up and settled down for a story.

 Roisin told us a really wonderful story about a little green leaf who grew on a tree.

 Over the summer the wind tried to blow him off his branch but he clung on tightly.

 When autumn came he saw that all of the other leaves had changed their clothes into beautiful autumn colours so we closed our eyes and when we opened them again we found that our little leaf had changed too!

 Then the wind came again and blew and blew and this time the little leaf let go and danced all the way to the ground where he joined his brothers and sisters. He got covered with lots of other leaves and snuggled up tight over winter to the roots of the tree...

 and as if by magic...

he turned into earth and from him new life could grow :-)

It was a wonderful story and the kids were completely spell bound!