There is Truth and Knowing in Geometry

There is Truth and Knowing in Geometry

Sunday, 20th of March, 2016 One day everything you think you know, that is safe, that holds you, that keeps you comfortable can suddenly fall away. It could be as simple as learning that the earth is not just a solid set-in-stone sphere, even though you thought is was, or it could be more personal, […]

Maya Meditation & Imagination

Maya Meditation & Imagination

Monday, 18th of January, 2016 I started babysitting quite young, and now I think about it, I count the families I child minded for as some of my most inspiring life teachers. I remember the night Mum dropped me off at my first babysitting job at a farm house on a country road in Lindendale. I […]

Interview with Juliet Blankespoor of Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine

Interview with Juliet Blankespoor of Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine

Over the years of knowing Juliet I have watched her dream of Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine unfurl like a beautiful lotus. I have been inspired by her dedication, and the focus and energy she gave to bring Chestnut School of Herbal medicine to life. From the start I could see the beauty she was […]

Listening Comprehension with Encounters Podcast By Richard Nelson

Listening Comprehension with Encounters Podcast By Richard Nelson

We are currently enjoying the wonderful stories and studies of animals in their natural environment by cultural anthropologist Richard Nelson of Encounters. Richard’s work is broadcast across the nation on public radio and it is only with Richard that you can hear polar bears growl, peregrine falcons cry and killer whales splash! His podcasts are […]

Shantideva How To Wake Up A Hero By Dominique Townsend

Shantideva How To Wake Up A Hero By Dominique Townsend

Shantideva How To Wake Up A Hero, Adapted by Dominique Townsend, Illustrated By Tenzin Norbu. Ages 3-8 years With beautiful illustrations Shantideva has a peaceful tone and rhythm and makes traditional buddhist teachings accessible to children through the comfort of a story book. Shantideva encourages mindfulness and positive identity in children and is a valuable book, […]

At Home in Harmony: Bringing Families and Communities Together in Song By Meg Chittenden

At Home in Harmony: Bringing Families and Communities Together in Song By Meg Chittenden

At Home in Harmony: Bringing Families and Communities Together in Song By Meg Chittenden Meg Chittenden, Waldorf music teacher and teacher of teachers, shares her perspective on the value of singing in harmony.  She is in the midst of creating a CD and songbook featuring a Waldorf-inspired collection of rich and diverse songs in harmony, […]

Taproot Issue 15 Folk

Taproot Issue 15 Folk

When Taproot Magazine comes through our mail slot I am always pleased. You just never know exactly what wisdom and skills editor Amanda Blake Soule will have chosen for us, but you can rest assured it will be helpful content. With confidence in the people she attracts I am grateful for the guidance and this platform […]

Study Water With Children

Study Water With Children

Water is fascinating for the whole family to study, as a theme it seems to flow cross all subjects from Maths to Art. You can dive in deeply with older children as I have with Maya or just touch the surface lightly with younger children through water play and experiments. Either way, learning about water […]

Swimming as a Metaphor for Life By Lesley Irvine

Swimming as a Metaphor for Life By Lesley Irvine

Words by Lesley Irvine Images by Little Kite Photography My mother is Scottish and can probably count on one hand the number of times she has ventured past ankle-deep in the ocean. My Australian father on the other hand was a self-taught swimmer and has retold many fond memories of spending his childhood 1960’s vacations […]

Study Bees With Children

Study Bees With Children

Last year we studied bees by doing age appropriate anatomical drawings. I found reference material on-line by googling “anatomical drawings of bees” and then pressing google images. Maya then scrolled through until she found something she liked. The text we source on-line and from books borrowed from the local library. I find on-line research great […]

Flower Messengers With Lauren Luquin

Flower Messengers With Lauren Luquin

Like little signs on our path, flowers hold messages and meaning and if we look, listen and drink in the scent, flowers can inform us in our daily life. Ancient symbolism is held in flowers and by being aware of the symbolic language, you might find those walks in the garden or woods become a […]

How to Braid a Clover Crown

How to Braid a Clover Crown

This post was sponsored by Fabrik Store  – Clothing with a conscience! There is a humble simplicity to clover, the abundance is a lively welcoming burst, but one single flower on its own is ever so gentle and subtle. The scent is nostalgic, and for many it connects our souls to golden days of peaceful play. […]

Respectful Mushroom Harvesting

Respectful Mushroom Harvesting

  During our time in Nantucket we had the pleasure of walking through Squam Swamp with our friend Zak Mackay, who is studying to be a mycologist. While on this walk we were treated to a great variety of mushrooms to explore and it further heightened our appreciation of fungi. I have always found mushrooms […]

Dancey Pants Disco Dolls

Dancey Pants Disco Dolls

After many years of wishing for heirloom rag dolls and alternating between ideas of purchasing them and making some myself, we are now the owners of two of the sweetest dolls imaginable. Beautiful both in craftsmanship and design, and especially because they are the handmade work of Michelle Housel, whom operates creatively under the name […]

Fiber Burn Test

Fiber Burn Test

A conversation about the flame resistant quality of wool lead into a lesson this morning about fibers in general. This is a lesson I learnt in high-school, but honestly, you could learn it any time after the age of seven and find it handy. I have applied this lesson to fabric after rummaging through Grandma’s […]

Wild & Free Homeschool Conference

Wild & Free Homeschool Conference

I am very excited and honored to be a presenter at an upcoming homeschool conference for women called Wild & Free. To be held in Virginia Beach on September 19-21, 2014. Whether or not you educate your children at home, you believe childhood is a wonder to behold, to be cultivated with love, nature and adventure. […]