The Benefits of Herbal Wildcrafting for Kids

We made the most delicious garlic bread from garlic that we wild-crafted last week! Yum! I always look forward to summer and early autumn when we do hour herbal identification walks (instructions at: http://waldorftv.weebly.com/e-books.html)

We learn so much, but my children also eat healthier food than they eat all year! It is amazing what children will eat when they get to pick it off the ground in the "wild woods"! Both my children balk when I put salad on the table (although Sofi likes tomatoes, carrots and fruits and berries and Sunii likes other veggies and orange juice) - they complain that salad is GREEN and leafy and yuck!

However, they have no problem foraging clover, mint, chives, dandelion leaves, and sorrel and eating them by the handfuls! As an added bonus we also have raspberries and mulberries on our nature trail.

Other things we learn from our herbal identification walks:

1. Botany: The basic cornerstone of every botany lesson is the shapes and kinds of leaves you find in nature, how to identify plants and how to classify them. This is also the basic cornerstone of herbal identification. However, it is a lot more fun to identify things you can eat and use, rather than drawing shapes and memorizing names on paper.

2. Observation skills: We learn how to look at nature around us in a deeper way. We often see plants and animals we would not have seen otherwise.

3. Healing skills: We have learned how to heal poison ivy with a few common herbs, what to put on a cut when you are hiking in the wild and what you can eat for a stomach ache, spider bite or bee sting.

4. Respect for Nature: We learn how useful nature really is. All that "green" around us is not just "greem stuff" anymore. It is valuable for its healing properties, taste and beauty. We learn how to wildcraft with respect.

5. Nutrition: We learn and experience the nutritional value of herbs and plants.

6. Economy: We calculate and understand how many things are "free" in life, and how we don't have to buy expensive herbal mixtures to heal or eat. They are usually in our back yard!

7. Biographies and History: We learn about some of the historical figures who wrote journals and poems about nature.

8. Storytelling: We learn stories that teach us about the herbs.

9. Verses: We learn verses that teach us about the herbs.

10. We create books with drawings that help us learn more careful drawing techniques.

This is certainly one of my favorite lessons of the year!

Join us in our adventures with our new E-book "Herbal Identification with Kids" at:
http://waldorftv.weebly.com/e-books.html)

Blessings & Health,
Kristie
www.Earthschooling.com

Herbal Identification VIDEO

The new member video this week is called, "Herbal Identification" and is packed with information on how you can safely and correctly identify herbs in your own backyard, neighborhood, local park or nature center. Learning this simple technique can save you money and be a lot of fun too. This method of harvesting is also called "wildcrafting" and is perfect for the months of September and October. This video tutorial will form the base of all things herbal you do with your children in class this year, as it will give you the ability to find herbs on your nature walks and in your back-yard that you will use in a variety of lessons all year (cooking, crafts, healing and gifts).

This can also be used in conjunction with general plant identification during nature walks, a biology unit or any unit on plants.

All members of the September and August lesson plans (www.earthschooling.com )& members of the Parent-Child Healing Class will receive this video for free. Any non-members who would like to purchase this video can link to:

Herbal Identification and Wildcrafting Video

Question: What Age is the Herb Book For?

Re: Question: Kristie I just checked your book out on the link - WOW! Everyone go have a look! It is lovely! Does the printed version include more stories? What age children is it aimed at? I guess it's designed to be read to and to be read by themselves? -Cathy

Thanks Cathy!

I am so happy with the book and the class that did the watercolor paintings did such a good job! The book is aimed for children ages 3-7 to be read to or 7-9 to read TO them or from ages 9-11 as a MAIN LESSON guide. Each book has one herb story in it and is designed for the following:

1. As a story book/picture book to inspire: Our kids are used to seeing these wonderful illustrated books but this book is also gorgeous but illustrated by children slightly older than them (and their teacher) so in this way, children are SEEING on a daily basis Waldorf Watercolor painting, which prepares them visually for what they will be doing when they are older. Imagine the difference in a child who is introduced to Waldorf watercolor painting WITHOUT ever having seen any examples they can grasp (this book has examples that range from simple to professional) and the child that sees books from a young age filled with Waldorf watercolor paintings!

2. As a teacher guide: As a teacher you can use the book as a guide to do this as a main lesson with your own child. Two free E-books are available with the book if you need help with Waldorf watercolor painting. Using the story and the watercolors in the book you can guide your own child through the lesson.

3. As a gentle introduction into the world of herbs. Through the story you learn about the uses of one herb, you can use the recipe at the back of the book and explore the herb in more detail, using the book as a starting point. Even as an adult learning about herbs it is recommended that you learn about only ONE HERB at a time, at a rate of about ONE HERB a month. That is another reason I put only one herb per book.

The reason I decided to publish this as a book, rather than an e-book, is because of the paintings and its usefulness as a "first Waldorf book" for children. There are very few Waldorf storybooks available for children. There are a lot of Waldorf-like or Waldorf-y storybooks, but this one actually uses art that the children will be creating later in their education.

4. To be held, treasured, and loved...to be experienced over and over. I am excited for my own children to have this on the counter and be able to read the story and browse the pictures every day. I imagine it will have a wonderful subtle effect on them over time! Sofi has already been inspired by the pictures and is looking at them every day and wanting to make them!

Hope this helps!
The Book is in my ETSY shop now :) or you can pay directly via Paypal or Amazon payment link (ask me for the link).

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10746408

By the way, I can sign the book before I send it out if you want me to and I can include an inscription as well. I won't do this if you don't ask, however, as you may want to include your own inscription OR leave it blank.

Blessings & Health,
Kristie
Kristie Karima Burns, MH, ND
Mother to Mosi, 13, Sunii, 11, Sofi, 9
Living in Des Moines, IOWA after travelling the world :)


http://www.waldorfschoolonline.com/
Enrichment Curriculum, Video Tutorials, E-books, Consulting & More
http://www.herbnhome.com/
Naturopathic Healing Classes & Consulting
http://www.buyaunicorn.com/
Knitted Herbal Healing Unicorns
http://www.thewaldorfchannel.com/
Free video tutorials for crafters & homeschoolers

Tea Tasting & Dye Party

Here is a reprint of an article I wrote last year for Easter:

http://studiocam.wordpress.com/2007/04/07/spring-tea-party/

This year we did the same thing...only we extended it to a "Tea Tasting" party and we dyed YARN instead of eggs.

Blessings & Health, Kristie

http://www.thewaldorfchannel.com/

Sharing our Waldorf Enrichment Day - Herbs and More!

Dear Parents,

Last Friday we had another fun Waldorf enrichment day that we shared with three other children. We did some herbal activities like "herbal yoga" and other things. Here are some photos of our day together.

Still time to join the Parent-Child Healing Classes Online!

Dear Members,

I am excited to announce that we have started our first day of Parent-child Natural Healing Classes. We will be working on SuJok Reflexology the entire month of February so there is still time to "jump in" and join us! We will be studying herbs in March, iridology in April, nutrition in May and typology and temperaments in JUNE. The cost for the entire series of courses which includes course instruction for the parent AND the child as well as all video, audio, e-books, and two certificates is only $150.00 and can be paid in installments. Hower, no installment payments will be accepted after March 20th, 2008.

To join us you can register at:

INSTALLMENTS

http://tinyurl.com/2zq89k

OR FULL PAYMENT (save $20.00) at:

http://tinyurl.com/2gdrz7

If you want to find out more about the courses you can read about them at:

http://herbnhome.blogspot.com/

I hope you can join us this month! The more the merrier! And remember - you can sign up as a class or a co-op. But only two certificates are provided with the cost of the course.

Blessings & Health,

Kristie Karima Burns, MH, ND, Sunii, Sofi and Mosi

Parent Child Natural Healing Classes Start NEXT WEEK :)

Dear Parents,

Parent-Child Natural Healing Classes ONLINE will be starting on February 1st!
(Scroll down to sign up as a pair, a family or co-op group)

I have been teaching a naturopathic healing class online for 8 years (and offline for more). My children are all old enough to start participating in learning these skills, but the classes I already offer are at a higher level (14-16 years old and up to 150 years) So I will be starting a new series of classes over the next few weeks called "Parent-Child Natural Healing Classes". During these classes we will be learning:

Reflexology
Herbs
Iridology
Nutrition
Typology

These classes will be taught at a child's level and will all include video support. I will be uploading one class every month for the next 5 months. Mothers who have taken these classes "in person" with me before have been thrilled because the classes were so easy for THEM to understand too. Even herbalists and healers were excited to discover new ways of looking at herbs and healing and the kind of reflexology I teach is not American reflexology so it is new too!

How the classes will run:

1. Each month you will receive your video - downloadable online - and class materials and E-books, lesson plans and stories (all online). You will be able to access these materials at any time so even if you don't choose to participate WITH the class you can use these materials even 5 years from now!

2. The entire month we are running the class I will be visiting the online forum (open for the class forever) and I will be present there every Friday at a certain time to participate. You are welcome to join the class in "real time" or you can access the forum and do the class on your own time. I expect there will be enough people doing the class at different times that there will ALWAYS be someone on the forum so these classes are NOT restrained by time but I am adding an element of time to them so that people who want a more LIVE experience can have that.

3. You will be able to either participate in LIVE time or on your own time.

4. The classes do not involve testing, although you are welcome to contact me any time with questions

5. Two certificates of participation will be issued when you finish the series for participants in the class, however, as many children or family members as you like can participate in the classes. However, please do not distribute the class outside of your group as the materials are copyrighted.

6. You must sign up for all of the classes. You can pay all at once or you can pay in installments:

One time price is:
$150.00 payable at:
http://tinyurl.com/2gdrz7
(Ideas: sign up as a co-op group to save money and split the fee between more than one person)

The installment price is (a little more because of the maintenance from my end)
$50.00 for the first installment and then $30.00 a month after the first installment for the next 4 months.
http://tinyurl.com/2zq89k

7. If you want classes with testing and certification for older child or adults visit: www.naturopathichealingcourse.com


If you have any questions please contact me at : herbnhome@yahoo.com

Kristie Karima Burns, MH, ND
www.thedreamangels.com

Healing Kool-Aid?

The first time I had a cup of cold hibiscus tea I thought it was Kool-Aid. It was in Egypt and I asked my host "Where did you get Kool-aid in Egypt?" They just gave me a strange look...

But that single memory has remained my motivation for sharing this recipe with as many people as I can. This herb is so healing and so healthy and if it tastes like Kool-aid what kid would not LOVE to drink this? And the benefits are so many!

This morning I woke up with a sore throat and a fever and immmediately made myself some of this drink. It is perfect for my condition - soothing to the throat, cools the body down (in Egypt they use it to stay cool in the summer - here I use it for fevers and for hot flashes :)), and is very high in vitamin C! This is the perfect herb to use all winter.

I made my yummy healing drink by pouring 4 cups of hot water over 4 tsp. of dried hibiscus leaves (order online, or buy at any local health food, Arab or Indian store) and then letting it sit for 15 minutes and straining it. I drank mine warm with honey but I am saving the rest to give my kids as an afterschool snack - whenever ONE person in the house is sick I always give everyone the herbs so more people don't get sick too.

Enjoy!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Alternatives to OTC Cold Meds

This is now located at www.BEarthBLOG.com

ORGANIZING IDEAS: Tea Tin Pencil Holders

I often buy this wonderful tea from Barnes & Noble that comes in these lovely tins that I hate to throw out so I was keeping them for a while...not knowing what to do with them. Then, the other day I had some kids over and I needed a place to put the markers they were going to use to color with (I'm also using this for my colored pencils). We don't get the markers out too often so they were all nice and organized in color order in the bag...I couldn't bear to have them all mixed in a basket. So I took out the tea-tins and - voila! A wonderful way to organize any colored drawing tools! I was even able to match the colored markers to the colors on the tins :)