Corn crafts for kids - Husk Doll

 

With Autumn well and truly here we have been busy with some seasonal crafts together with the Poatina Homeschooling group.
The very sweet Mabel and her lovely Mummy (Mrs Heather Copper from RockSalt Arts) 
talked us through making a Corn Husk doll! It was really quite tricky for some but with much determination, and a few melt downs we all ended up with a doll. During the "corn" talk we found out HEAPS of fun facts about corn!
Did you know
*each corn silk (that's the hairy bits on the top of the corn) is connected to each kernel! If it isn't pollinated then it wont grow the yummy corn to eat!
* You can drink corn silk tea!
* The male part of the flower is at the top of the corn stalk and the female is the corn silks!
*  Corn will always have an even number of rows on each cob
*  Corn is a cereal crop that is part of the grass family

 

  

 

 

 Every bodies wonderful Corn Doll creations!

 

 

 Looking forward to our next activity together!! Yay for Homeschooling group!
Smiles The Torrents'
 

Happy Easter - He is Risen {Poatina Sunrise Service}

 

  Easter morning! Photo by Sophia

 

 A NEW day!

(pic by Sharnee)

What an amazing Easter we have had, our first one in Poatina! Good Friday we headed up to the Arts Center for a Prayer vigil from 6-12pm. The children's time slot was 6-7 were we acted out the some of the Easter story. Hannah ended up playing Jesus.

 The disciples gathered around for the last supper, 

"Jesus" saying how one of them would betray him.

 In the garden praying by himself.

 After seeing Pilot (Paul in this case) Jesus had to carry 

His own cross ready to be crucified.

Then today we were up there again ready for the Easter Sunrise, prayer, story reading, breakie and fellowship with other "villagers" which was truly AWESOME!!!!

So to you all I say Happy Easter! He IS RISEN!! (Just like the wonderful illustration Hannah drew in the church today!!)
Smiles The Torrents'

Wonderful World Wednesday - Huntsmen for Dinner

Unlike some bugs/insects (like the slug, moth and spitfire caterpillar), spiders don't actually freak me out so much! Check this out, a spider eating/carrying another spider away!
With some research we think that the spider doing all the work is perhaps a White-tailed spider, of course his dinner is none other than the Huntsman.

 

Check out the hairs on the Huntsman's legs!

And you can make out the white tip... just!

Not sure how long it took for this guy to eat up his find but it was super cool to see!!
Smiles The Torrents'

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie craft for kids

 

 Sophia's little gumnut baby

With our recent move it has meant that we are now part of a homeschooling group again! Just gotta say how much I am enjoying it and our dear children are as well!! It's such a blessing to be part of a greater community and learning and laughing and crying together!
I hosted the first group activity with a Snugglepot and Cuddlepie theme! I've been reading the books to Esther and Sapphire each morning and with the stunning yellow and pink gum out in flower is was a prime time to get creative!!!

 

 To kick start I showed some of the many books written by May Gibbs (author of the Snugglepot and Cuddlepie series) and then I read Snugglepot and Cuddlepie on board the Snag which is an old book from the Young Australia Series (see here) It includes banksia men, Mrs Snake and of course their dear friend Mr Lizard. The lovely Hannah Cooper had been given a Blue Tongue lizard skin which was shown to the children and my Hannah then showed the snake skin to help tie in the whole story too!! It was wonderful to have these amazing items of nature to show!!

Next was craft time and painting inspired from May Gibbs illustrations! I made this look-a-like Ragged Blossom as the inspiration and the children ran like wildflower to create their own, wonderful, amazing, fabulous gum babies!!!!

 

 

By the end we even had a Banksia Man made by Mable and each little gum baby wasn't so scared of her at all!!

 

 

 

 

 

 YAY for Homeschooling fun together in Poatina!!
Smiles The Torrents'

Wonderful World Wednesday - Spitfire sawfly (caterpillar)

 

While walking a few months ago Sophia and I found THIS!!! I was quite intrigued by it as it was one of the larger caterpillars that we have found. Then as we picked it off the footpath with a stick it started oozing this yucky green slimy stuff!! That was pretty gross but still interesting!!

 

It wasn't till I got home and we did the usual Google search that I found out EXACTLY what it was!!! A horrible Spitfire Sawfly!!! SHUDDER, it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it, believe me I'm not looking too closely to the pictures right now... I HATE these things!!!!
WHY?? do you ask??
Well when I was young we had a small gum tree in our back yard, right at the top of the path. It provided great shade for us as children and we would often sit under it in the Summer! I remember that every Summer there were these YUCKY black caterpillars crawling all over each other in a HUGE ball and (as it would happen) a couple of them fell........

 

 

 

NOW to make a REAL GOOD story I could say that it fell on ME but to be honest I don't really remember that. I just remember that they are gross, disgusting and totally not something I would normally stop and study to closely (due to memories!!!)

SO there you have it, check them out if you're not totally YUCKED by them - The Spitfire Sawfly!
Smiles The Torrents'