How to Make a Wooden Sword for Knighting!

These sweet swords are as simple to make as the shape itself.

They are also wonderful for young children as they have no sharp point.

We used left over kindling wood that we had from our local hardware store, the handles were cut from a long length of wood. We had the children help with a small handsaw

 (parental or caregiver supervision a must, of course!) 

We drilled a hole working with an old fashioned hand cranked 

screwdriver that was easy for little hands to work with.

We glued the button cover and used heavy string to secure it all while it dried

 and also make the hilt look more fancy. 

Many of the children chose to leave the string, they had worked hard to tie it, 

so they were kind of attached to it!

We applied a coat of beeswax to "polish it" the last in a long line of tasks, and a favorite for all.

This project took shape from mid Winter thru to Spring which made it's finishing all the more special.

The swords were used in our "Bridge Crossing" ceremony, a custom in Waldorf Kindergartens. The children cross over in to "Summerland", or in the case of First grade ready children they cross over into First Grade.

This year I knighted the children with the following verse and then they crossed over the bridge to Miss Toki who greeted, hugged them and let them go into the arms of their proud parents.

Teacher: "Child's First Name have you been Brave & True?"

Child: "Oh, Yes"

Teacher: "Have you heard the Stars calling to you?"

Child: "Oh, Yes"

Teacher: "Then you shall be a Knight too!"

And then I handed them the swords they had built this year and said:

"Use them with gentle hands..."

I have to thanks Sarah from Bella Luna toys for the above verse, I learned it when I was her assistant in the Rose Kindergarten many many years ago. Xo

candlemas, a tiny celebration for a big thing

at school this week we celebrated candlemas, traditionally done on feb 2nd when the lengthening of days starts it's slow climb toward spring. we have been lucky enough to enjoy so many sunny days in maine this winter, and many of them felt more like spring than ever before. usually we feel all frozen until february or march when the little thaw creeps in ever so slowly taking it's time. this year it feels like we have alternated between full on winter snow days and muddy melting spring days.
either way we are glad to have longer days headed our way and mud season too.
we celebrated candlemas at playschool by simply making a few candles. we made a painted wax variety and also the dipping variety. i was bolstered by the efforts of the children in patiently dipping the wick again and again...out little candles might not look like much but very much time and effort and gentleness went into making each one.
cheers to bringing in spring!