The Story of the Root ChildrenTold by Lia Grippo
Listen to this story several times and prepare your family to act it out as a play, just like we do at the May Day festival! I wonder who will be old father winter?
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The Maypole Song Here we go round the maypole high the maypole high, the maypole high Here we go round the maypole high, let colored ribbons fly Lasses and lads go skipping by skipping by skipping by Lasses and lads go skipping by let colored ribbons fly! (To the tune of "This is the way we wash the clothes, so early Monday morning...)  Parent Survival Kit Resources, Links and Stuff to Support Parent Survival "We Got This!" Pro-Tip #1 Be sure to take some time each day (at least 5 full minutes) to do absolutely nothing. (Movies, phones,and computer screens do not count as doing nothing.) Pro-tip #2 Create some time to draw or paint. Do not invite your child to join. Sitting down and beginning is the best invitation. Be ready, they will ask to join you. Pro-tip #3 Once you and your child are drawing together, they might ask you to draw a picture for them. Resist the invitation and say, "no, thank you, I am doing this drawing now." It's important to model the joy of creativity, while preserving that for your child. Often when adults draw for children, children tend to focus on the outcome of the drawing rather than the joy of freely creating and they might give up trying it on their own. By Heather Young, Waterstriders teacher
May Day baskets are small baskets that have traditionally been left on doorsteps or hung on doorknobs on the first day of May. They are filled with flowers, and sometimes other small treats or gifts. You can make your own beautiful May Day basket to give to friends, family, and neighbors--or to bring some springtime beauty to your own home. Often, these are left as a surprise on the porches or doors of neighbors, early May Day morning. This is an opportunity to have fun being sneaky while doing good. Materials: paper Paint/crayons/pens/colored pencils tape scissors ribbon/yarn/twine
Did you know that the adult Ceanothus Silk Moth does not eat during it's entire winged life? It's larva feeds on native chaparral plants, but as adults they only mate, lay eggs and visit children to show off their fabulous antennae! -Gwendolyn, Cattails class Send us your pictures and Did you knows...we'll share them! 
By Erin Boehme, Dandelion teacher
May Day is a joyous spring festival at Wild Roots Forest School. Children love to practice dancing around the maypole while holding onto the colorful ribbons and singing May Day songs. They will even enjoy this activity on their own, especially when accompanied by The Root Children Story, included below as an audio file. Here are the steps to crafting a Maypole at home. Materials: ~ A wooden pole (straight tree branch, broom stick, rake handle, porch post or a slim live tree) ~Horseshoe nails or heavy duty staples OR a drill to make holes through wooden pole ~Colorful ribbons, strings, strips of fabric(even fabric that is dyed or painted) ~ A hole in the ground or stable base or live tree Measure and prepare ribbons, string or fabric: Make sure the length go the ribbons reach from the top of the pole to the ground and that there's enough slack on the ribbon to hold onto when dancing. Secure the ribbons to the top of the wooden pole: Pound horseshoe nails or staples into the top of the pole, but make sure not to pound them in all the way. Put in one for each ribbon you will tie tot the pole. Tie a ribbon to each nail or staple around the circumference of pole. *If you are using a drill, make 2 holes in the wooden pole big enough to put 3 ribbons through each hole and secure with a knot on the other side. 
Live tree or porch post:
If using a skinny live tree or porch post, use a strong wire to tie ribbons on and around in a loop. Then take the wire and loop around tree or post at a good height securing tight enough to prevent slipping. Install wooden pole in a hole in the ground secure with large rocks at the base if needed. Decorate the top with flowers and greenery Flowers are always a special addition as a crown or in the hair for May Day play! 
HAPPY MAY DAY!! 
Here's a branch of showy May, A branch the fairies gave me Who would like to dance today, with a branch the fairies gave me Dance away, dance away Holding high the branch of May Dance away, dance away Holding high the branch of May 
By Natalia Pareja and Erin Boehme Garden bouquets are fancy and simple. Simply take note of the beauty blooming around you, express your gratitude for the flowers and the plants with your children. Mention how wonderful it would be to have flowers in the house for dinner or tea. Give your child a small basket or bucket, model for them how to pick a flower with a long stem so it can get a drink of water from a vase. Ask the plants for permission to share their blossoms. Remember reciprocity helps. Possible ways to exchange are gifting the plant a song, spoken work of gratitude, one of your hairs, or by tending the plant in it's home. Have a vase or jar ready for them to put each little flower into and tell them to make sure the stems are in the water so the flowers can get a drink. Little ones will spend a long time picking, singing and making wonderous bouquets of flowers for your home. Put the arrangement(s) on the dinner table or out for tea time. Honor the care your child has taken to make your home beautiful, by saying "thank you for making our home beautiful" rather than praise like "good job". It's important to name and validate a worthy job done well. When children know they have made a meaningful contribution to the family, they will begin to look for ways to do it more often. You might find they are more capable of making meaningful contributions than you ever imagined. |
AuthorWild Roots staff authors include Erin Boehme, Lia Grippo, CJ Cintas, Anne McCarthy, Tyler Starbard, Jenn Sepulveda, Heather Young, Amalia Smith Hale, Natalia Pareja... Archives
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