Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!Okay, so it's not quite the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (it's actually on Monday, September 24), but preparations for the festival have been in full swing for a few days now. We had our co-op festival dinner last night to share how we celebrate this holiday in a multi-cultural family. It was amazing, and I love sharing these types of foods with our community here. We also plan to have a special dinner with just us on Monday, so I've saved back some special foods just for us. The most important traditional food is the mooncake. It's typically filled with all kinds of fillings, especially whole eggs. Despite trying, I don't much care for the traditional, four-egg ones. (They remind me of how we treat fruitcake here in the US, but the mooncake tins are far more adorable.) I found this recipe from Serious Eats that was adapted for ingredients that are easier to find in the US, and I actually like this one. The only specialized equipment you would need to make this recipe (aside from tons of patience) is a mold. Traditionally, families used molds that were made of wood, like this one (affiliate link). I haven't had much success with these types of wooden molds although they are gorgeous. Instead I use one that is plastic and spring-loaded, like this one. I love that it also has different stamps to use, and it has been much more effective. RecipeThis week's mindfulness practice might be better for slightly older children and adults, but there is real value in intentionally wishing happiness for others. The practice itself is a child-friendly version of metta bhavana, a traditional practice meant to cultivate compassion in Buddhists that has been adapted for an English-speaking audience (not an affiliate link). For myself, this was one of the most valuable meditations I learned back in high school at a gifted program retreat that focused on Buddhism. It has carried me in many times of difficulty by allowing me to open up my heart to people who have hurt me. I was excited to share this child-friendly version with my daughter. Like the past two weeks, this Loving-Kindness card is from the Mindful Kids card deck published by Barefoot Books (my affiliate link). Here is the adapted version for kids. Adults are welcome to use this one as well, but the linked one from the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society (link again) may work better for us.
I hope that this has been helpful, and I would love to read your comments below. Thanks as always for reading. Today my daughter and I hosted a fun Mid-Autumn Moon Festival party. We made special mooncakes and pumpkin bread along with apple cider. As part of this celebration, we also read Lin Yi's Lantern by Brenda Williams about a young boy who learns an important lesson about generosity and magic. I also wanted to have a simple craft activity for the kids who came to our party, so I organized a rock painting activity. There are several active rock painting groups in our local area, so I thought that it would be an excellent way to spread magic and generosity, like Uncle Hui did in Lin Yi's Lantern. Materials
Instructions
As always, thank you for reading. I hope that you paint some amazing stones with the kids in your life. Lee's Summit's Own Family Business HubOne of my main goals for Sunday Spotlights is to highlight the incredible resources available to homeschooling parents, including local and national ones. Today I am focusing on two brand new businesses that will be opening this fall to help parent entrepreneurs and students find that time and space to work called Symbiobiz and FlexPlay.
Symbiobiz is a concept that came out of the co-working movement, but its focus is on parent entrepreneurs rather than the typical tech start-ups that often utilize these spaces. FlexPlay, led by Enam Haddad, is the anchor tenant at the Lee’s Summit branch of Symbiobiz and will offer child care based around a Montessori-inspired curriculum. Once the space is fully open later this autumn, parents will have the space and quiet time to work on their own businesses (or plan lessons for us homeschooling mamas), while our kids will have the chance to meet new people and learn from someone other than us. In addition to the perks of enough time to concentrate and space to work, there will be plenty of networking opportunities with other family-focused entrepreneurs. Stephanie Zamora Schilling of True North Entrepreneurs and Assurance Security, LLC will also offer specialized coaching to help family-focused entrepreneurs plan and build their businesses. As more details emerge, I will share them in this space. I can’t wait until this space opens up; I think that it will be an excellent addition to our community. Although the official date for the Chinese festival for the Mid-Autumn Moon is on Monday, September 24, we have started our book celebration this week and will continue into next week.
Books I have included in our Morning Basket this week include the following titles:
I also ordered some watercolor lanterns for my daughter from Discount School Supply, so I am excited to paint one with her. "Explore, Learn, and Protect"“There is a delight in the hardy life of the open. There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm. The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value. Conservation means development as much as it does protection.” Our National Parks are some of our most treasured areas, and one of my big goals for my daughter this year is for her to learn more about the diversity of our history and landscape in a preschooler-friendly way. One of the best ways I have found to do this is by taking part in some of the Junior Ranger Programs offered in many of our National Parks (not an affiliate link). Kids who successfully complete a National Park's Junior Ranger Program will earn a special badge and a certificate; these badges are not available without completing the program, making them something special for kids to collect. Because of our schedule this year, it's not likely that we will be able to swing a big trip to the most famous National Parks, but there are programs in every state, including many online versions. The National Parks that only offer in-person Junior Ranger Programs still include the pamphlets online so you can print them at home. The Nitty-GrittyGiven how many National Parks we have, it may feel a bit overwhelming to think about completing all of them, or even choosing your first one. I've included the nitty-gritty about the various programs available below as well as a more specific example using Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah (one of my personal favorite parks). Everyone is invited to participate in the Junior Ranger Program (yep, adults too!), but they are typically designed for kids who are 5-13 years old. My daughter is on the younger side of this age range, but she has still enjoyed learning about the parks, especially seeing the photos and learning about the animals. If the Junior Ranger program guide is completed in person, a park ranger will sign it and "induct" the kid into the park as a Junior Ranger. Then it's time for the special badge and certificate. Super exciting! Online and National ProgramsAlthough seeing the parks in person is ideal, there is still so much value in using the Junior Ranger program guides as a way to learn about our shared history and the wild, special places we hold in common. That's why there are national programs that can be completed at home as well as online versions for many National Parks. Here is a list of the national programs (non-affiliate link that also includes other National Parks participating in Junior Ranger programs). Some of the topics include: fishing, archeology, bats, caves, wilderness areas, night skies, fossils, historic preservation, slavery and the abolitionist movement, and others. Like the specific park programs, there are guides that cover the topic that can be sent in to earn a badge and certificate. Junior Ranger Program: Bryce CanyonAlthough this post is already a bit lengthy, I think that it's helpful to see a more specific example of what kinds of fun activities a particular Junior Ranger program guide includes. I've chosen Bryce Canyon because it is so gorgeous, and it is one of the parks that I am most looking forward to spending time with my daughter once she is a bit older. For the in-person Junior Ranger programs, each park will have different requirements. Bryce Canyon's program guide includes a presentation or guided hike with a park ranger, a completed booklet (different pamphlets for under 6 and over 6 years old), and litter pick-up (glove for picking up at least ten pieces included). Some of the activities in the program guide a circling activity to find dangerous animals and items in the park, a scavenger hunt, and drawing activities. The program at Bryce Canyon will require at least three hours of time to complete, making it a special achievement for younger kids. For every person completing the program, a free Bryce Canyon badge will be offered, and there is a special patch that is available for $1 in the gift shop that can only be purchased by people completing the program. The patch is gorgeous, and I look forward to the day my daughter earns one.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. I would love to hear about your experiences in the National Parks too. I'm back this week with another mindfulness practice for you and your family. This week's mindfulness practice focuses on how sound can help us settle back into calmness. My daughter loves this practice, and it often moves her mood from frustrated or angry into silly, giggle-filled calm. Like the card last week, the Happy Hum one is from the Mindful Kids deck from Barefoot Books (affiliate link). This one is particularly useful in helping kids find calm in the midst of strong feelings, which is how we use it in my family. This one does not require any additional items:
I hope that you enjoy this practice. I will be back next week with another. |
Author
I'm Heidi, the lead teacher for Stone Bridge Academy. We are a homeschool serving one fabulous student. This blog occasionally uses affiliate links, which means that we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only link to products or services that we use and love in my family. These commissions allow me to continue providing helpful content here. Thank you for your support.
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