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Great to hear about Gemma's workshops, I feel it goes in the same directions as this proposal ....<br><br>~ Feltmaking, Butterflies and Bee making workshops ~<br>(I thought of giving a detailed plan but all that follows is flexible and I am happy to hear your comments, ideas ...)<br>Like Gemma, the workshops I propose for the kids space @ Climate camp are craft orientated.<br>As well as decorating and giving an identity to the area, using felt, pine cones and wooden sticks brings awareness and reverence for the natural world : the visual impact is attractive to young children. <br>Bees can be seen by the kids as a gentle reminder to care for our endangered species, it can also start conversations between children and adults on the process of pollination and observation of the plants and insects activities (and how their potential disappearance could affect human life). <br>Like Gemma I use hands-on approach because through physical experience children understand the world in their own personal way without feeling they are being "taught" - just by imitation.<br>Using raw Felt has therapeutic powers thanks to its natural hand-dyed colours, warmth and softness. We call it the magic wool for its versatile quality as it can transform : raw merino tops can be turned into caterpillars on the first workshop day and metamorphosed into butterflies on the second day to experience the qualities of change in Nature (usualy kids use them as ornament in their hair, clothes ect ..)<br>The same qualities of transformation and change, "warmth" and cold, dry and wet coexist in the wet felt making to make patterned cloths that can dry on washing lines around the kids tent / we can discuss what to make out of them (flags, patchwork, bags, ...whatever is useful ... I always carry a sewing kit).<br><br>For now, I am thinking of two workshops/day, 1 hour/workshop. Hopefully will commit for two days (if more days possible closer the date then great).<br>Light Bee making and Feltmaking are inspired by activities I run in a Steiner Kindergarden, in Home Ed groups/ camps, La Leche meetings and are aimed at children from 4/ 5 years old onwards (adults of course welcome). <br>For children under 5 years old I would prefer the parents to take part / otherwise a helper would be great.<br><br> All for now xx<br>Anna<br><br><br>> Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:01:08 -0700<br>> From: feministchildrearing@riseup.net<br>> To: radical_childcare@lists.aktivix.org<br>> Subject: Re: [Radical_childcare] Minutes from Sunday 12th meeting<br>> <br>> [from Tumbleweed]<br>> cool, also:<br>> <br>> - just quick reminder that this list is open for anyone to join (approved<br>> by the list moderator of course but sometimes the person is not 'verified'<br>> or even known to us) and so we should keep any sensitive/detailed<br>> information away from this list (this is a reminder for myself also!). We<br>> need to think about how we will deal with this issue i think.<br>> <br>> - i will email the statement to this list on wednesday eve so that people<br>> can change/add to it on the thursday and so on friday we all should be<br>> happy with it.<br>> <br>> - the forest-school-inspired activities i can do are:<br>> <br>> (this is an approx example)<br>> <br>> Thurs (all ages)- Help decorate your kidspace! Setting up a free-play<br>> environment curtain (an ongoing display contributed to by kids to learn<br>> about our environment and reducing waste), and other decorations etc<br>> <br>> Fri (ages 3plus but flexible)- the magic of Elder (part 1): learn about<br>> the ancient Elder tree, drink juice from its flowers, and make your own<br>> pencils from its wood.<br>> (Plus: Whittling freeplay)<br>> <br>> Sat (ages 3plus but flexible)- the magic of Elder (part 2): learn about<br>> the folklore of Elder, make beads/necklaces from its wood, and colour your<br>> necklace using Elder's own natural dyes.<br>> (Plus: Whittling freeplay)<br>> <br>> Sun (all ages)- Leafcrowns and Rainbow bracelets: using what you can find<br>> around the kidspace area decorate a crown or bracelet.<br>> (Will be adaptable depending on the site)<br>> <br>> mon/tues- i will see what i have left of my supplies and energy!<br>> <br>> Each activity may run for 30-60mins depending on the kids. The best times<br>> for me would be prob 11am-12noon.<br>> <br>> I will try to bring enough elder with me, but will depend on how many kids<br>> turn up and if there is any spare elder on site! also the elder needs to<br>> fresh so i need to have done all the elder activities by saturday to be<br>> safe.<br>> If anyone wants to bring in some elder for me, then that would be great.<br>> for the elder magic i also need lots of potato peelers, some penknives and<br>> a couple of hacksaws- obviously i will have to make do if this isnt<br>> possible but can this info be passed onto cc insiders? i will need to know<br>> prior to thursday if this wasnt possible.<br>> <br>> I also will need at least one helper (pref 2 as i have a young child)<br>> please contact me on tumbleweed_freed@riseup.net to sort this out, or if<br>> you have any ideas.<br>> <br>> All of the forest-school-inspired activities are not only crafts in<br>> themselves, but always have educational links to our environment and human<br>> action. Children learn by doing, therefore an abstract concept like<br>> 'climate change' is only understandable to kids thru hands-on activities.<br>> Are any of us doing the climate change workshop? I would like to link with<br>> them to bring in activities to help kids understanding of these issues<br>> (this is if they havent already done this already- if its sorted then<br>> wicked)<br>> <br>> xxx<br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> Radical Childcare Collective meeting 12/7/09<br>> >  <br>> > Present: Anna Davies, Anna, Annelle, Brunel, Gemma, Jon, Kaden, Maggie,<br>> > Molly, Una. (Apologies to children who’s names I failed to find out.)<br>> >  <br>> >  <br>> > Almost the whole meeting was focussed on the climate camp Kidspace that<br>> > we’re helping to organise.<br>> >  <br>> > First meeting<br>> > We’ll have a general Kidspace meeting on Friday 28th (probably in the<br>> > early afternoon) which will be a time to get as much input from kids and<br>> > their carers as possible about what they want the Kidspace to be. It<br>> > would be good to get an experienced facilitator along to that meeting as<br>> > well as someone with experience of communicating effectively with kids of<br>> > all ages to get the most out the this meeting.<br>> >  <br>> > Kids’ action<br>> > Some people are interested in organising a kid friendly action towards the<br>> > end of the camp. This could include a happy colourful exciting march<br>> > through London to a climate-change-is-affecting-kids type target. It<br>> > could also include planting a tree somewhere.<br>> >  <br>> > The political importance of childcare<br>> > We’re concerned about the lack of enthusiasm around providing stuff for<br>> > kids and their carers.<br>> > Action point: Gemma to write a short statement based mainly on stuff from<br>> > the Raising Some Hell zine about not leaving your friends behind and the<br>> > whole community taking responsibility for childcare. Gemma will send it<br>> > round to the list for a quick group edit before it is finalised. This<br>> > statement will be read out at the next climate camp gathering, by either<br>> > Anna Davies or Annelle.<br>> >  <br>> > As well as this there’s a plan to do a workshop for adults about these<br>> > ideas. The workshop would basically involve facilitating a general<br>> > discussion on childcare issues within “the movementâ€�, not leaving our<br>> > friends behind and what we can all do to draw attention to this.<br>> >  <br>> > Notice board<br>> > We’ll put up a Kidspace notice board in the welcome tent which will draw<br>> > attention to what’s going on. It will include a rough programme of<br>> > what organised activities are happening each day. It will also include<br>> > plenty of space for people to write up needs and offers of support with<br>> > regards to childcare to facilitate parents/carers getting to the workshops<br>> > they want to. We’ll probably also put up a suggestion about<br>> > parents/carers camping close together so they can conveniently share<br>> > kidsitting arrangements in the evenings.<br>> >  <br>> > Climate Camp Kidzine<br>> > We plan to gather all sorts of pictures, games ideas, recipes and diary<br>> > entries together from the first few days of the kidspace and publish them<br>> > in a zine that can be coloured in at the end of the camp. The plan is<br>> > for someone to get it printed on the evening of Sunday 30th (or first<br>> > thing on 31st if it’s not open then) and have it all assembled to be<br>> > enjoyed by everyone on the 31st sometime.<br>> > Action point: Anna Davies to speak to Bob at the printing co-op about<br>> > using their facilities and whether they have a collating machine that<br>> > staples stuff too.<br>> >  <br>> > Resources<br>> > We agreed that we’d like the stuff we gather for the Kidspace to be as<br>> > creative and multi-use as possible i.e. not toys that can only be used in<br>> > one way and are often useless once one piece is missing but rather lots of<br>> > natural objects and versatile construction and crafts materials.<br>> > Action point: Jon to send a list of resources round the list included<br>> > things we already have and things we’d like. This list can then be<br>> > forwarded to other lists to help us gather all the stuff we’d like.<br>> >  <br>> > Activities for the kidspace<br>> > Between us we have lots of cool activities we can run and at the camp<br>> > there are bound to be lots of other people coming forward with their own<br>> > activities they’d like to facilitate. Here’s our list so far:<br>> >  <br>> > -        Felt making with Anna<br>> > -        Bee making with Anna<br>> > -        Leaf crowns, elder whistles and other forest school<br>> > activities with Gemma<br>> > -        Flag making<br>> > -        Kite making<br>> > -        Bread making and biscuit making with Brunel<br>> > -        Circus skill share with Jon<br>> > -        Bike maintenance for kids<br>> > -        Climate change workshop for kids<br>> >  <br>> > This list will be submitted to Maddie for inclusion somewhere in the main<br>> > programme, partly in the hope that this will attract more kids to climate<br>> > camp this year.<br>> >  <br>> > Collective Meeting<br>> > We decided to have a meeting of the radical childcare collective at<br>> > climate camp as a way to make ourselves more visible and to attract more<br>> > people to the group. Time and date to be arranged.<br>> >  <br>> >  <br>> > Yarlswood family<br>> > The group would like to show solidarity with Steve and Juliet Umoru<br>> > who’ve been recently deported from Yarlswood to Nigeria.<br>> >  <br>> >  <br>> > Next meeting Sunday 2nd August 1pm in London Fields play area near the Pub<br>> > on the Park.<br>> >  <br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Radical_childcare mailing list<br>> Radical_childcare@lists.aktivix.org<br>> https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/radical_childcare<br><br /><hr />Beyond Hotmail — see what else you can do with Windows Live. <a href='http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/134665375/direct/01/' target='_new'>Find out more.</a></body>
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