Buddies~ advent spiral

**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 made a salt dough advent spiral. All along the spiral there are 23 little dents the size of a marble, each day of advent the child can move the marble one space closer to the middle of the spiral where a little tea light candle will sit waiting to be lit to celebrate the 24th of December.

To make one spiral we mixed 1 cup of plain flour and half a cup of salt together in a bowl,

then we added half a cup of water

then mixed it together well

When the dough has come together (you can add more water or flour if appropriate) roll it into a long sausage.

The with a little help from your mama make the sausage into a spiral on a floured baking tray

Gently press a little tea light (or any other candle) into the centre of the spiral and then remove (as obviously baking a candle isn't a great idea)

Then using a marble make 23 (or several thousand more depending on your self control and enjoyment level) little dents in the dough going from the centre out.

Bake in a very low over for a few hours to harden. Then, if you like, you can paint the spiral or cover it with greenery or glitter or anything you fancy.

I think this is a lovely, tactile way to feel the days of advent passing by.

To finish we read this sweet little story:

Us Buddies mummies are all very excited this week because we are going out for a meal and a few drinks together, just us girls :-)