Location: Outside the Butterfly Classroom and in the woods nearby, Whidbey Island Waldorf School.
Invited Guests: In addition to current Butterfly, Rosebud, and Dewdrop children and parents, friends, and grandparents, we invite all families with young children to attend.
This is mainly an outdoor festival. Be prepared for the weather.
Brief Synopsis This festival provides an imaginative picture of how seasons change to reflect the way young children experience the changing seasons as a vivid drama. After a puppet show, we will walk to meet Mother Earth, Father Sun, Brother Wind, and Sister Rain; these friendly characters may even give us gifts. After the walk, we will return to the playground for snacks, play, and conversation. If weather permits, I will end our festival with fiddle tunes and dancing outside.
Why a Festival? There are a number of good books about festivals in the Kathrine Dickerson Memorial Library (in the lobby of our school). Here also is an article written by an experienced kindergarten teacher from Santa Cruz Steve Spitalny about festivals. Although Steve is writing for teachers in this article, he helps us as parents as well simplify and clarify our thinking about marking the seasons of the year to support our children. Festivals can be seeds of renewal, to help children adults frame the year.
Music While there may be more songs, here are lyrics to two songs we will sing often.
While the children often find the festival more magical and nourishing if they can have the experience without explanation beforehand, this more detailed description for adults will prepare to help if needed (please do not share with children).
9 to 9:30am Children and parents come to the playground outside the Butterfly classroom. Bread and butter, water, and herbal tea will be available in the shelter. Children play and/or eat.
9:40am I will lead you into the Butterfly Classroom and will present a puppet show (children can keep shoes and coats on; we are going right back outside).
9:50am William will lead us into the woods to the teepee (the walk is 200 yards at the most). There, Mother Earth will silently greet us. She will present William with a fiber pot and plant cosmos seeds into the pot. Ideally, Mother Earth will present a pot and seeds to each child. If there are many children, and the waiting seems too stressful, William (and other parents) will help. It is nice, however, if things do not feel rushed. Some children, of course, may be intimated by Mother Earth, so a parent could receive the gift for the child. Be prepared to help your child carry the pot. We will have extra potting soil and seeds at the end of the walk if, as is possible, your child's pot spills. We thank Mother Earth.
9:55am (or so) We walk a few more yards to another clearing in the wood. There Sister Rain will greet us and water each pot. We thank Sister Rain.
10am (or so) We walk farther. Father Sun greets us. He ties a spring crown around William's head. Next it is ideal if Father Sun ties a spring crown on each child's head. If there are a lot of children, William and parents can help Father Sun. Again, it is nice if we avoid a sense of hurry. Some children, of course, will not feel comfortable with a stranger putting on a crown; parents are welcome to help their own child with their crown. We thank Father Sun.
10:05am (or so) Back at the playground, Brother Wind greets us and presents us with a large spring cloth for dancing. We thank Brother Wind. Unless it is bitterly cold, William will play the fiddle as parents and children dance with the large cloth from Brother Wind.
10:15am Children play some more, children and parents eat more snack. Each child is welcome to take home a pot. There will be extra in case one is misplaced or spilled. This particular cosmos (which you can plant outside after 6 weeks or so) is supposed to help attract butterflies. to remind you of your time in the Butterfly Room. Each child is welcome to take a crown home. If you enroll in the spring session of parent and child classes (beginning ), please bring the crown to class. We will decorate the crowns with wool roving and embroidery for May Day.
10:30am Children and parents depart. Beginning at 10:45am or sooner, elementary children come outside for recess, and it will be good to leave them space.
With warmth and light,
William Geoffrey Dolde
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