The Spring Handicraft Fair
Sometimes in homeschooling, we have to set aside doing school to do school in a different way. Today in Huntington Beach, several Charlotte Mason nature study groups got together for a handicraft fair, a chance to see what other families have been working on and to buy each others' treasures. Charlotte Mason wrote about the benefits of handicrafts: Not a useless experiment with glue and glitter, but a skill one can learn slowly and carefully. And while not everything my family made completely fits this noble description, we felt quiet accomplished when our creations were done. The simply Charlotte Mason website list seven benefits for doing handicrafts.
To train the eye and hand.
Cultivate the artistic feeling.
Train in neatness, or good taste.
Train in manual dexterity.
Establish due relations with various materials.
Experience the pleasure of exact movements and the triumph of success.
Encourage productivity.
The day was spent outdoors, marveling at all the creative ideas.
and of course buying
and eating
and fishing.
Our treasures, minus what we ate:
In addition to all this goodness, we had necessary discussions about how to determine prices, overhead costs, the value of saving and the value of spending. Quite worth the time missed on our normal schedule. We may even feel the need to start tomorrow on new projects for the next handicraft fair.
Jen, your kids items were really creative and artistic and unique. My boy has one of their violins on one side of the bookshelf above the fireplace and the red guitar on the other side :) What were those stick things in the jar with papers hanging off? Flags? I didn't see those when we were there. We still have the insect wall hanging and rock collection from previous years on display too, it's definitely adding a lovely D's flare around here. There are so many thoughtfully made things, it's really teaching the kids to spend their limited profits wisely.
ReplyDeleteYes, Conley helped Ella make those flags. She was selling them for $0.10 :) That was such a fun experience again! My boys love Ryan's bread and Riley's soaps:)
ReplyDeleteI love it! Very inspiring post, Jen. Must show my son those fishing poles ;)
ReplyDeleteWow! Oh how I would love to have you all as my CM neighbors! But I'm all the way up here in the bay area :( you are blessed to have such a creative CM community. If you guys are planning any CM seminars - I will definitely fly down and would love to meet you all! :)
ReplyDeleteGina, have you checked the map on the www.charlottemasoneducation.ning.com site? I think you may find some CM neighbors up in your area.
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