Here We Go Again...

This blog will feature the work of Shelby, second grade and Grace, first grade. This year Lydia has her own blog @ www.creatingfifthgrade.blogspot.com and is currently working on typing up her first report of the year on our fantastic trip to New Vrindaban in Moundsville WV a few weeks ago. I have posted pictures of this field trip here: http://spiralpathways.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-vridabran.html

The following week I taught an Herbal Day Camp here at my house and the pictures of the weeks activities are also on spiralpathways here: http://spiralpathways.blogspot.com/2009/07/herbal-day-camp-2009.html

Here as a list of activities:Herbal Day Camp 2009


Day One: Herbal Identification

Gather and read part 1 of Herbalist of Yarrow
Walk through the gardens with Hyde tour guides and learning about what we have growing here
Herbal identification activity: 21 herbs in various stages laid out and numbered. The children made note of the ones they could already identify
Discussion of the healing properties of those herbs
Lesson on plantain (the miracle plant)
Plantain harvest and hanged to dry

Day Two: Flowers

Circle Time
Herbalist of Yarrow Part 2
Harvesting fresh basil, rosemary, cilantro, nasturtium flowers and zucchini blossoms for lunch
Preparing herb lunch:
Pasta with garden zucchini and tomatoes, garlic and onion in olive oil with fresh-cut herbs and nasturtium flowers
Herb cream cheese filled zucchini flowers
Collected brightly-colored flowers and foliage and made beautiful nature-made pictures with leaves and petals
Learned of the medicinal value of red clover, lavender and rose and brewed a delicious tea to lift the spirits, ease pain and calm the nerves.
Collected the leftovers from the Art project and tea and made a fragrant potpourri to take home.
Day Three: Herbal Cooking

Circle Time
Part Three of Herbalist of Yarrow
Cooking Asiago Basil Focaccia bread topped with sage and sweet basil pesto pasta
Wildcraft (herbal board game)
Garden Yoga
Herbal leaf rubbing cards

Day Four: Herbal Medicine

Circle Time
Conclusion of Herbalist of Yarrow followed by discussion
All prepare lunch: Herbal Stone Soup and cheddar chive drop biscuits and fresh chocolate mint tea
Making olive oil and beeswax based skin salve using freshly harvested yarrow, comfrey and plantain along with dried lavender and chamomile flowers.
Created a Human Herb!