Fall 2020

Reopening Plans

Distance Learning

Covid-19 Resources

Communication History

Family Fun at Home

activities from subject teachers

The Emerson Waldorf subject teachers have compiled a list of activities families can enjoy together. With work and school taking place at home, the need to carve out time for human connection is more important than ever. We hope families near and far will use these activities to relax, find joy and have fun together.

Move | Eurythmy

You will need at least two people for this movement activity, the more people involved, the more interesting it will be; go to a large flat space, inside or outside. Collect beautiful, natural shapes in the form of leaves, stones, sticks and shells. It’s best if these are not too small. Put all of your materials together. Spread out the objects in a pattern of your choice, this can be symmetrical or more random.

Next, someone in the group leads the others through the objects making a pattern. Choose loops, straight lines, spirals, circles and more! The leader can choose to walk, run lightly, hop, skip or tiptoe through the pattern. Other participants follow the leader. Everyone may take turns making a pattern while the others follow.

Ready to make it harder? One person makes a pattern while others watch. After observing, participants take turns trying to make exactly the same pattern they saw.

If you have a big enough space, such as a long driveway, field or grassy area, the group can try to keep distance from each other while moving. Try to make the whole pattern appear as the "flow" of the form you are creating. It will be challenging not to bunch, but with practice you can do it. In doing this, you will take a further step in the eurythmy aspect of the activity as you will have to be aware of the whole form and each person's part more intensively. This version will be easiest for participants nine years and up.

Move | Make & use a BALANCE Board

Movement teacher, Mashobane Mourthane, shows students how to make and use a roller board. This activity challenges balance, coordination, muscle memory and physical strength. Recommended for children nine and over. ALWAYS ask an adult for help with power tools.

grow

With all of us sticking close to home, one of the activities we can use to care for ourselves, families, and communities is gardening! You do not need to plan an entire garden to enjoy growing plants. Even a few pots on your front steps or deck can bring a lot of satisfaction.  All you really need is a few big pots, a bag of potting mix, and your favorite seeds or seedlings.  I always teach the students that the seeds want to grow. With just a few basics, you will be successful.    Here are some tips, links, and resources about growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers at home. 

Where to Grow

Consider using your porch, desk, patio, front steps, fence, or part of your yard.  You can even mix vegetables, herbs, and flowers into your ornamental bed. Your “garden” should face south and will require a minimum of 5 hours of direct sunlight per day. You will want to have a water source close by. Start small and grow slowly.  

If you are turning part of your yard into a garden, consider Sheeting Mulching or Raised Garden Beds

For container gardening: Fence Planters Container Gardening Water Trough

What to Grow

Choose what you like to eat.  Think about how often you want to visit your garden.  For example, beans will need to be picked daily whereas carrots and beets can be picked over a longer period of time.  For container gardening, choose varieties that produce smaller fruits.

• Plant now: snap, pole, and bush beans, greens of any kind, cilantro, dill, leeks, onions, radishes, carrots, beets, turnips, broccoli, cabbage

• Plant after April 15: corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, sunflowers, melons, summer and winter squash, zinnia, basil

• NC Planting & Harvesting Guides: NCSU Calendar & Growing Small

Other Backyard Projects

• Stepping Stones | Pollinator Hotel | Container Pond | Herb Spiral | Seed Balls | Plant Markers

• Local Stores: Fifth Season (Carrboro), Southern States, Weaver Street Market, Tractor Supply

• Large quantities of mulch and compost can be purchased through Orange County (Solid Waste on Eubanks Rd), JV Brockwell, or the Rock Shop (Durham)

• Seed Sources: Sow True (Asheville), Turtle Tree, Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Exposure Seed Exposure, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary (for pollinator plants), Johnny’s Selected Seeds.  Choose biodynamic, organic, open-pollinated, or heirloom seeds when available.

Cook

Here’s an easy dessert to make that is enjoyed in Spain and Latin America: Rice with Milk!  There are as many variations of this recipe as there are versions of the song. Here is the song we sing at EWS. Can your child sing it for you?

Arroz con leche, me quiero casar,

Con una señorita de la capital.

Que sepa coser, que sepa bordar,

Que sepa abrir la puerta para ir a jugar, 

Con esta sí, con esta no, con esta señorita me caso yo! 

Arroz con Leche (Senora’s preferred recipe)

  Preparation 5 minutes

  Cook 35 minutes

  Total 40 minutes

  Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup of rice

• 2 cups water

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk or substitute another cup of milk and sugar to taste

• 1 cup of evaporated milk

• ½ cup of raisins

• Grated coconut (optional)

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 whole cloves

• The peeling of a ½ lemon or orange

• Ground cinnamon to taste

Preparation

1. First bring the water to a boil. 

2. Add the rice ( previously washed), as well as the whole cinnamon, cloves and optional citrus peel, cook about 20 minutes, or until the rice is soft.

3. Add the raisins, milk, condensed milk or sugar, cook over medium heat, stirring for a few minutes as it thickens.

4. When serving, sprinkle cinnamon powder and a little grated coconut (opt) on each portion.

5. Enjoy!

Make

No-Sew Sock Bunny

Materials

• Sock, any size- the size of the bunny depends on the size of the sock!

• Filling: dry rice, dry beans, grit gravel - can also be stuffing wool, polyfil, or fabric scraps etc. (I cut up an old t-shirt for mine.)

• Thread, twine, or elastic bands (something to tie around body sections)

• Scissors 

• Optional: thread/needle, felt/glue, or permanent marker for adding face 

• Optional: ribbons for bow around neck

• Optional: craft glue w/ pom pom or cotton ball for tail (instead of tying) 

• Optional: funnel or paper rolled into funnel, large tape roll (for assisting with filling)