Play dough bugs

Today in the homeschooling group the little children talked about bugs, insects.

They started out by reading about them and seeing pictures of different kinds of bugs, the similarities and their habitats, after that we all got to make bugs together. They came out so great and the children really enjoyed the process, Keenan still sat at the table deeply concentrated on his bugly creation, after everyone else had gone to wash hands.

There were so many great ones, there was a ladybug and also spiders, dragonflies, caterpillars, beetles, mosquitos and others, such fun!!

The play dough we used, which had such a soft delicious consistency, was made using 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water (with food coloring if desired), 1 Tsp oil, 1/2 cup of salt and 2 tsp cream of tartar.

Stir and cook until the consistency of mashed potatoes, then take off heat and knead by hand until it looks like play dough. This will keep for 2 months with home use, store in refrigerator.

I have made play dough many times, yet have not cooked it before,  I really loved the feeling of this and will make this next time we make some at home.
Besides the play dough there was also silk paper wings and construction paper pieces, buttons and tooth pick as well as pipe cleaners.

To complete the experience we went outside and looked for bugs in the places where we knew they liked. the children had brought buckets, shovels and magnifying glasses, and they loved it. Even though we have had a few frosty nights and some cold days, today was in the sixties and just lovely, and to out surprise we found many little bugs, spiders, worms, crickets and ants...

 Even a  beautiful Praying Mantis

~remember to sign up for my little giveaway here~

Autumn beauty, persimmons and puppets

Today was yet another absolutely gorgeous day, fresh morning and warm afternoon. We headed for the country and enjoyed the crisp red and orange colors that seem to permeate everything these days.

The other day we read a story, cannot remember now which it was (might have been Tiptoes), but it mentioned how the persimmons tree was empty of leaves yet full of ripe fruit. Kaleena reminded me that perhaps the big persimmons tree at the farm would now be bearing the sweet persimmons fruit, and today we checked, and there was indeed loads of little orange sweet persimmons fruits ready for eating. Kaleena and Keenan spent the morning coaxing the fruit down from the tree as the branches were quite high. We gathered a nice little pile, besides what they ate on the spot.

We enjoyed the beauty of the country lanes before we headed for our weekly homeschooling class.

The little ones made puppets today.

We used socks and paper plates and bags and an assortment of random nature finds as well as buttons, yarns, glitter, feathers and wool, and the children then were asked to create a forrest creature from these parts.

Next week there will be a puppet show using these lovely little puppets.

here is a rainbow trout in the making

Keenan made a bear

 we had an owl

 a rabbit

 also a squirrel,  a couple of fairies and other wood creatures.

~may you have a lovely evening~