Buddies ~ it's all in the eyebrows!

***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...***

We were winging it this week at Buddies. We had a plan for a lovely story and lots of sweet activities based on that story, but then lots of little Buddies got sick. So we decided to leave those planned activities for another time when more of us could make it. So when Susan and Flo arrived at my house we had a quick chat about what we could do over a coffee before we started. Susan had brought crafting materials to make 'snow globes' which we realised were also 'calm down jars'.. jars that you can shake up when you are feeling cross and angry and calm down as you watch the glitter inside settle. 

So we decided to base our session on feelings.

We started , as usual, singing a few songs. We did a great adaptation of 'If you're happy and you know it...' and we helped the kids think of ways they express different feelings:

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands...

 If you're cross and you know it do eyebrows!...

 If you're giggly and you know it laugh out loud...

 If you're scared and you know it scream and shout...

 If you're confused and you know it scratch your head...

 If you're loving and you know it have a hug....
After we had finished our song we started crafting our calm down jars...

 First we glued some googly eyes and button noses and mouths onto the lids of our jars, then we drew cross eyebrows over the eyes with thick black marker.

 Here are all the cross faces :-)

 Then we put sequins and glitter into our jars

 topped them up with water and glued our lids back on

 we tried them out and they work beautifully

 the children are all captivated by them

 One of the Buddies had a half birthday and had brought a cake to share with us which we enjoyed at snack time. The kids played outside in the garden for a while until Benny 'destroyed' Little C with water (his words) and they came in for a story....

This is a lovely story about a very cross and grumpy little fox who doesn't believe that anyone could love him when he is so cranky...but his mama does...no matter what.
A fitting story to end the session :-)