Purple Day is a podcast from Storytime in the Schoolhouse. Our Purple Day podcasts are the audio from Storytime’s Monday episodes. Please note: Storytime is written and recorded for the screen. Some elements of Storytime will transfer better than others.

In this week's episode of Purple Day, we will sing songs about autumn and continue to work on our latest fingerplay (this one is a kid favorite!). This Storytime episode will...

Poured Earth Candles

February 2nd is the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Most of us have gotten through the darkest days of winter, and spring's return feels just around the corner.
This time of year is celebrated worldwide and marked by many customs and traditions.
Working as a Waldorf teacher, I often spent this time making our candles for the rest of the year. I also planned our spring garden and began deep...

Every year I watch the goldenrod to know when school is about to begin. The first day of school comes at the same as the goldenrod displays its bright yellow flowers. 

About three weeks into each school year, we gather the flowers, make the dye, and dye silk "capes" to go along with our story about a child knight befriending a dragon. In this story, the child knight is given a cape to get them strength:

Here's your cape of golden...

I have avoided using Kool-Aid as dye for years because, well, it's Kool-Aid! I typically dye with plants but it can be hard to get all the colors we want from the plants that grow locally. We wanted to make a rainbow silk with vibrant colors and decided to give Kool-Aid a try. I wish we had tried it years ago!

This is an easy project with beautiful results. 

Materials needed:
- white vinegar
- silks (we used the 15" x 60" Habotai scarves...