I had to shift my schedule - I was anticipating the elderberries to be ready later this month but lo and behold - they are already ready for harvesting!
Which means... it's time for plant magic! Medicine making! Witchcraft! Which witch is which and which plant is which?! Sooo many plants are at their peak! The harvest is among us.The elderberries are ripening which means it’s time to make my favorite potion...... I mean medicine!
Did you know that one of the first herbal medicines I learned to make on my own, more than 10 years ago, was elderberry syrup? Did you also know I'm a witch? It feels hard to believe I have been crafting medicine, studying witchcraft and herbalism for over a decade now. It has been such an empowering journey to learn about plant medicine and the ways of our ancestors and indigenous kin. There is an abundance of medicine all around us if we look long enough.
Discover the plentiful personalities of our plant friends. Which one seems the friendliest? The fiercest? The most discreet? Listen to the whispers of the faeries and the gnomes and play in the garden.
Check out the itinerary below!
itinerary
- Arrival + CIRCLE TIME 9-9:30am // Verses, songs and movement games in the backyard. Since it will be so hot, I'll have a big pitcher of refreshing still water infused with lemon balm and mint for everyone to sip on throughout the day.
- MORNING FREE PLAY 9:30-10:30am // We will have blankets spread out in the grass, building blocks, books and a curated morning basket.
- STORY TIME 10:30am // The game Wildcraft is incredible. There are stories that go along with the game that you can read at checkpoints throughout our play so we will weave in gameplay with our story time this week - I love that it is a cooperative game, meaning all the players are working together to achieve the goal of collecting huckleberries for a pie before the sun sets.
- GUIDED ACTIVITY 10:30-11:30am // Elderberry syrup crafting! I’ll have harvested and processed the elderberries we’ll be using to make this delicious, immune supportive medicine. We will combine the berries with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and local honey to enrich the syrup even further.
- FREE PLAY + LUNCH PREP 11:30am // Wander and mingle until lunch is served. Help with lunch, continue crafting or do your own thing. Browse the morning basket for activities and books.
- LUNCH 12:30pm // Naan pizzas on the grill. This is such an easy, customizable lunch that looks lovely and engages kids of all ages. During lunch prep we will shred cheese, gather basil and other greens and herbs, and everyone can build their own pizza. I love mine with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and a hefty drizzle of oil. When it comes off the grill I top it with fresh arugula and a balsamic glaze. We can get creative with our toppings!
- QUIET TIME 1-3pm // Naps for littles. Older children to assist in afternoon reset and set-up art table. Child-led art to last until about 4pm.
- ART until 4pm // Child-led art. During this time, art supplies will be provided for undirected creating. Kids will be free to cut, color, paste, pipe, calligraph, paint and play to their hearts content. For many people, when they think of art, they think of a finished product, such as a museum painting or a sculpture. But art is also a process, and when working with young children, art experiences should focus on the process rather than the finished product.
- SNACK 4pm // Small bites from the garden. Cucumbers, carrots, peppers, fresh fruit, flowers and more. Local honey and cheeses.
-AFTERNOON FREE PLAY + Departure until 5pm // After snack we will tidy up and play freely until departure.
NOTES
There is a magical tool that I use often in my blogging practice. It's known as *copy & paste* - you may be catching on that each week the itinerary is eerily familiar. Each week, I update the schedule with relevant on theme activities but it boils down to the same template. I adapted this itinerary from a sample schedule for families with mixed ages from a pre-school curriculum - but it took a really long time for that to click for me.
There is so much parenting advice out there, countless books and blog posts and family members offering their unsolicited advice. I don't want that to be the vibe here. If one caregiver can benefit from my sharing these itineraries, I love that but I'll continue to copy & paste the idea that you should take what works for you and leave the rest.
Next week we'll explore the wheel of the year and have a little Lammas celebration!