Our family has lived in Vermont for over 13 years, and this place is very generous with seasons. January brings intense cold and some snow. With the returning light around Candlemas, the bitter weather abates and the season of snow really begins. On the first day of spring, we might have snow, but from mid-March to the end of April, you can feel nature speeding up. In fact, when our children were small, I found it very easy to make … Read More...
Every season seems more alive the more time we spend outside enjoying it. With all the demands on our time, it can be hard to remember to take just a minute here and there to enjoy the wonder of a changing season with our children. Here are a few ideas to mark the glory of fall. Some are quick, the sort of thing you can do between the house and the car, and some mean a few hours of fun.… Read More...
We’re still looking at a foot of snow in Vermont, but our minds are focused on all that’s happening beneath this thick, white blanket. Our seasonal tables tend to reflect what we’re hoping for in this season of waiting more than what children might find outside. Our hopes around garden plans or new chicks to raise or even the feeling of warm grass beneath bare feet can be features of the spring display. Of course, for younger children, the Easter … Read More...
“Trees are all different, as you know, and I am sure some tiresome person must have told you that there are no two blades of grass exactly alike. But in streets, where the blades of grass don’t grow, everything is like everything else. This is why so many children who live in towns are so extremely naughty.” – E. Nesbit, The Five Children and It
Even a century ago when Ms. Nesbit was writing, people were concerned about the amount … Read More...
Using bleeding tissue paper, you can create beautiful, tie-dyed eggs for Easter. When wet, the ink from the tissue paper is transferred to the eggshell. Warning: it will also be transferred to fingertips!
First, hard-boil the eggs. Cut or rip small squares of tissue paper in your desired color palette. Grab a paint brush, a glass of water and some paper towels—you’ll want to protect the table as the ink can stain. Place a square of tissue onto your egg … Read More...
Here in northern Vermont, the days are very short from early December until mid-January. Intellectually, I knew this would be the case when our family moved here from Texas, where the shortness of days is not as pronounced, but experiencing it in the flesh was another thing entirely. Indeed, there is so little light that my understanding of the focus on light in mid-winter across so many cultures has increased. If you feel the same, perhaps you might like to mark this time of year with not … Read More...
