The ARTS

      Children CREATE on a regular basis at A Nest in Nature with many different techniques and medium.

  Assorted art materials are always available for free time use as well.

  Some examples of Art are:

  -making slime and other concoctions,

  -painting with acrylics and watercolors, 

  -coloring with pastels and crayons

  -making assemblages with recycled items,

  -creating altered books,

  -molding with clay, beeswax, and playdough

  -weaving with ribbons

  -collaging,

  -stenciling,

  -scrapbooking, (each child will scrapbook their year)

  -photo manipulation with digital pictures,

  -felting and sewing and quilting,

  -paper mache

  -beading

  -nature crafts (gourd painting, branch weavings, pumpkin carving, etc)

   and more.

  I am passionate about Art and believe :

  -Everyone is an artist,

  -There is no right way or wrong way, (no rules)

  -Process is more important than product.

  -Everyone has Creativity within them and it can be a source of therapy and enjoyment throughout life to         be able to create.

  We also plan to start Picture Study , a display of artwork of a Famous Artist each month for the child to         observe and think about. We talk briefly about the artist and encourage the child to share their observations  and opinions about the picture during the month.

##############################

                

LITERATURE              The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,

And all the sweet serenity of books.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

  We read every day and books are always available for the child when he/she wants them.

  We have focus books each week that we read as part of our Circle Gathering Time.

  We often do activities that relate to the story.  The children will take in what they can and make    connections on their own. They are very capable beings.

  They will have their own binder to keep some of their book drawings and activities in. They can also tell  me   about the story, in her own words,( narration) and it will be included in the binder. Children love to look back  at what they have done and remember the moments. The dept of this will depend on the child and his/her interest and ability. Each child is a unique being.

We read poetry, fairy tales, fables and folk tales and often refer to our U.S. and World  maps.

We read different Alphabet books and have plans to create our own, adding pictures and words for each letter. Again, the in depth of the book will be according to the child's interest and ability.

               

  MUSIC and DRAMA

  We listen to all kinds of music on a regular basis.

  We sing songs, concentrating on the classic children's songs and folk songs.

  I feel that the more children are exposed to the world of music, the more they can make all kinds of other connections on their own.

  We have a Baby Grand piano, clarinet, violin, and guitars, as well as child size instruments that the children   are free to use.

  I plan to get drums so we can do circle drumming together.

  The children also act out poems, rhymes and stories. They take part in movement stories.  They use their  imagination. They dance with silks.

  They act out their feelings, often using puppets.

  They listen to music, *feel* it and dance how they feel.