Buddies ~ a new start

**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...***

 On Wednesday we had our first Buddies Home School session of the year. It was sooooo nice. There are a few changes at Buddies this year. One of our original families no longer comes (how we will miss them!) and we have a new family to welcome and get to know. Also the group is all around the same age this year ranging from 1 and a half to 3 years old, Joa being the oldest Buddy this year! What is also going to make a big difference is that there are only 6 wee Buddies, one to each mama which will make the noise and busyness level so much quieter!

Anyway we were delighted to be starting back with our weekly Buddies gatherings and we kicked things off at Amanda's farm :-)

 After circle time, singing our welcome song and a few others, we went to look at the tractors in the shed and then on to the orchard to feed the hens.

 The orchard is one of the best places in the whole world and the trees were heavy with apples. We searched below them for interesting things, wind fall apples, feathers and so on which we gathered in a bag.

 Then we really spent the rest of our time there eating :-)

 Back inside the farm house we got out the paints and paper plates and the Buddies painted the things they had found and made prints with the apples (and their hands).

 It was so sweet and with only 1 child to mind each there was a minimum of mess and fuss.

 After a quick snack of bread, fresh tomatoes and berries the kids went out in the garden to play,

 or looked at books together while us mama's had a cup of tea and a chat.

We finished the session with this story.
I am so glad that Buddies has started again, the kids really had a lovely time together and it was so fun and relaxing :-)