Monday, June 6, 2016

Kids Herbal and Wild Foods Club





Every Saturday morning for the month of June I will be gathering with a small group of boys to discuss herbs and wild foods. It was with much excitement that I prepared for our first session this past weekend, gathering supplies for their nature journals, working on notes and projects for us to do, and deciding just which herbs and wild foods we would learn to identify and use. As they arrived on Saturday morning they made themselves at home in the yard, running, playing and getting to know each other before we settled under the shade of a birch tree to learn about the dandelion and the violet.

They were eager participants and took off from our gathering place in search of both plants. They clearly remembered to ask my help in identification before picking and tasting the plants, and once identified they gathered dandelion leaves and violet leaves for our smoothie recipe, and taste tested violet flowers before picking some to take home to their moms and dads.

We finished the workshop as we always do here at Life at Nature's Pace, with a little free play. I am pretty excited about this series, and I honestly can't wait til next Saturday.

25 comments:

  1. That sounds truly wonderful! You are an inspiration to us all Kim, I wish I lived closer........

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    1. Aw, thanks my friend. It was truly a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to do it all again this weekend. Such a gift to be able to share my passions with kiddos :)

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  2. What a great idea for a club, Kim. It sounds like it's something you really feel passionate about and I'm sure the kids will soak it right up and love it too.

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    1. Thanks Jennifer. They loved it, and from what I hear can't wait to come back next week :)

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  3. Sounds like so much fUn! We are doing nature study now too and Autumn is doing Botany for fifth grade. Kesa also got the game, Wildcraft for her birthday which we played last night! :)

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    1. It was a lot of fun Tiffany. How fun for Autumn, I am so looking forward to that block when we come to it in a few years. And yay for Wildcraft, it is a favourite game around here.

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  4. What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning! Sounds like everything is falling into place. ❤

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    1. It was absolutely delightful :) Yes, slowly but surely. xo

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  5. Oh this is truly wonderful! I wish we lived closer, I'd love my boys to participate!!

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    1. Thank you! Oh goodness, that would be so wonderful.

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  6. Looks like fun. I bet the kids look forward to it just as much as you do!

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  7. My boys would have love your class if they could have taken it many years ago.
    Have fun Kim, your June sounds amazing!

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  8. What fun! Love some of those little sketches. :)

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    1. It is. Aren't they amazing. The one of the dandelion flower is Reece's and I couldn't believe the care and time he took to draw it. So special.

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  9. oh this is so you!! I love the creativity that this class encourages.

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  10. Love this! Have you ever played Wildkraft - the Herbal Adventure Game? This would be the perfect supplement to it and just made me think of it. We play it a lot and now I wish I could send my girls to your class!!

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    1. Thanks Carlin. We are having lots of fun! Yes, Reece and I have it, and love playing it. I am hoping we will have time to play a round on our last day of the club. Fingers crossed.

      I wish your girls could come to class too, I would love to spend time with them :)

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  11. Oh how FUN!!! Little Miss and I have been doing something ssimilar together through a little online program and she,s just loved the knowledge and confidence it has given her. She feels even more conected now and will spend her time looking at the plants, identifying them, verifying with me their properties and characteristics. Such a little sponge... Can't wait to hear more. :-)

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    1. We are having the best time Yanic, so much fun!!!! That is awesome, glad you are enjoying it.

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  12. This sounds such a good idea for a series of workshops, I would love to bring both the girls if it didn't involve crossing an ocean to get there! And I'm actually just trying to put together a birthday present for Maria all around herbal play, potion making and actual remedies. I've found a couple of herbal books for children that have good reviews, but are there any which you would recommend?

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    1. Haha, how cool would it be if we could just snap our fingers on Saturday morning and you and your girls were on my land for the morning...something to work on :)

      Hmmm...herbal book for kids, I love Walking the World in Wonder A Children's Herbal, by Ellen Evert Hopman. Such a sweet book for little ones. And Sally what a great idea for a birthday gift, Maria will love it!

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  13. Beautiful! That looks like so much fun. Lucky kids. :)

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