Monday 29 June 2009

Book Sharing Monday

Our book this week is My Hippie Grandmother by Reeve Lindbergh. This has been a favourite book of Hannah's ever since i can remember, first as a library book, and now her own book (bought at the library sale!)


Meet my hippie grandmother. She wears ripped jeans, plays the banjo and drives a purple bus. Don't you wish you had a hippie grandmother too?

"I help her in her garden.

We hoe the peas and beans.

We eat sunflower and honey bread

In bare feet and ripped jeans."

Longdown Dairy Farm

Today we have been to Longdown Dairy Farm in The New Forest. It's a beautiful farm with lots of hands on activities for children. Hannah fell in love with the chickens and spent a good part of the day looking for eggs to collect and pass on to the shop. She also bottle fed calves and kids, fed pigs and goats, tried milking using the model cow, had a tractor ride, held a chick, played in the mini tractor park, straw barn and generally had a lovely time.

Geese and Goslings

Bottle feeding the calves.
This was her favourite calf, and the smallest one there.
Learning to milk.
A sleepy little foal.
Shire and riding horses.
Making Friends 
Her first egg find.....
So pleased !
Bottle feeding the Kids
Mini Tractors
Chicks

More Chicks

And after all that she still went to her modern dancing lesson this evening!!!

Thursday 25 June 2009

Prairie Bonnet and Ballet Class

Yesterday one of my friends gave Hannah a gorgeous Prairie bonnet that she had made for her. Hannah loves it, so much so that this morning she did all her lessons wearing it and then had me read her all her Little House on the Prairie books - i think i have a pioneer girl in the making!!

Horizon's Phonics -  Prairie style!

So pretty

Some Artwork made for Daddy.

This afternoon Hannah had her first Ballet and Tap lesson and really enjoyed it. She has been wildly excited all day in anticipation and it turned out to be everything she had hoped for and she did very well.

Ready toTap!

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Britain

For this weeks home education group meeting Hannah has been looking at Great Britain. She chose british birds and history for her presentation and was able to tell the group about her favourite birds (Owls, Robins and Blackbirds) and also took along a book about Celtic Britain, a map showing lots of different British historical sites, and some of the coins that her dad has found while metal detecting. Some of them are as early as c38bc dating up to C1900.

Some of the other members of the group did presentations on British inventions, the history of the flag, British cooking, The Westcountry and native butterflies.

Afterwards all the children had a lovely playtime in the huge wooden playground nearby.

Hannah's Map, Celtic History Book and Coin Collection.

Blackbird Nest and Information Sheet.
Owls
A Craft Butterfly.
In the Playground after the meeting.

Painting Daddy.....

....literally !!!


I wonder if this counts as art??

Monday 22 June 2009

Book Sharing Monday

This week we have chosen The Berenstain Bears Go To Sunday School, by Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain.


When Mama Bear decides its been too long since they’ve attended church at the Chapel in the Woods, the Bear family works to get back in the habit. It isn’t long before the family remembers what a wonderful place the church is and finds that going to church is something they look forward to every week.


Hannah really enjoys all of the Berenstain Bears books, and i really like the gentle stories, and traditional values that they represent. In this story the bears rediscover the simple joys of going to church :

'The Chapel in the Woods was nestled in a pretty little glen down by the creek. On this fresh spring morning, the dogwoods were in bloom. Papa began to hum a tune. Then he started to sing, "Come to the church by the wildwood. Oh, come to the church in the vale".

Sunday 21 June 2009

Sunday at the Bandstand

Dean had to work today despite it being Fathers Day, so Hannah and i spent a lovely afternoon in the sunshine at the Bandstand in Southsea, listening to Blues and Jazz with our friends.

The girls had a really fun time dancing, running, playing frisbee, running, dancing etc, so as you can imagine it was hard to get them to pose for a photo -  these are my best effort!!

Hannah, Maggie and Esme.

Dancing
wearing their cool sunglasses!!

The only time they stood still !!

When Dean came home he and Hannah went to the park and played football for an hour before dinner, and after dinner Hannah fell asleep on him..........................Happy Father's day daddy xxx

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Search Museum Workshop

Today Hannah has been on a Science Workshop learning about Minibeasts.
The children investigated minibeast classification, life cycles and habitats
using real specimens and 'high tech' equipment. 
The workshop was really hands-on and gave the children the chance learn all about the different minibeast
groups using games, worksheets and observational drawing which Hannah really enjoyed.

Our completed life cycle of a butterfly

Badger
Woodpecker
Hannah with the Insectivore display
Match the face game
Where's my home 
Minibeast puppet show
Bug Wings
Under the microscope
Worksheets on Hannah's favourite bugs
Woodland Wildlife
Hedgehog
Studying a snail
Red Squirrel

'Making Bug Soup' Game