This beautiful collection of poems, songs, finger games, crafts, and recipes presents hundreds of ways to incorporate the seasons in children's play-all gleaned from the author's many years spent as a Waldorf teacher. Capturing the sweetness of an old-fashioned childhood, the sing-alongs, little plays, natural materials, and wholesome foods encourage a lifetime of wonderful memories. This keepsake edition makes a gorgeous gift for families with young children, and will prove invaluable to homeschoolers and classroom teachers. Includes a satin ribbon marker. PreSchool-Grade 2. A compilation of poems, songs, fingerplays, and activities arranged by season. Some holidays are included, but the emphasis is on the experience and observation of nature. The main strength of this collection is that it shows so many ways to celebrate the various months, from poetry to baking projects. However, there is an old-fashioned look and tone to the material. The poems (many of them written by the author) and songs tend to be long and rather precious, with many a fairy and babbling brook, and far too much use of the word "o'er." Many of the crafts and recipes are quite difficult, with bare-bones instructions. Adults looking for seasonal activities and poetry will be better served by many other resources, including Kathy Charner's The Giant Encyclopedia of Circle Time and Group Activities for Children 3 to 6 (Gryphon Pr., 1996); 1001 Rhymes and Fingerplays (Warren Publ., 1994); Karen Sevaly's Classroom Celebrations (Teacher's Friend, 1991); the "Little Hands" series of craft and activity books (Williamson); and countless wonderful books of children's poetry.?Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. A must-have collection for Waldorf teachers or others already acquainted with the Rudolph Steiner philosophy of education. Jones puts together an unusual selection of songs, poems, and activities for young children, organized by season, intended for use by parents and teachers, especially those involved or interested in the Waldorf methods. The book is a treasure trove to browse; unfortunately, the author does not explain, through commentary or example, how children can use the material, and assumes readers will come to the book with prior knowledge of the notion of learning through play. It is a lovely collection, with limited application. (index) (Anthology. 3-7) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. This book hosts a collection of activities to use with children. As indicated by the title, they are organized by season with a fifth section of activities that can be used year round. Within each section are six further divisions: 'Verses and Poems'; 'Movement and Creative Drama'; 'Fingerplays and Riddles'; 'Games'; 'Art and Handwork'; 'Cooking and Baking.' In the first section, 'All Year Round,' the compiler has included introductions to each subdivision stating benefits for the child and giving tips to the adult on how to best introduce these ideas. Each season's section also has an introduction. While there's always some usefulness to a collection of this sort, many of the selections included here seem too complex to capture the interest of a squirming child. The majority would appeal more to the aesthetic ear of the adult than to the sense of play in the child. Even the introductions indicate a tendency toward wordiness and high-minded intentions, as in the introduction to Summer when the author discusses the King Sun on his celestial throne as well as gives advice on sun protection. To further dampen our enthusiasm, the book hosts a scant number of black and white, pen and ink drawings with only five small colored paintings to serve as chapter dividers. The diversity of choices included here would be suited to the home environment. Home-schoolers and daycare providers would fall into this category. The book had several indexes and a page of diverse resources from books on parenting to catalogs of craft supplies. This is an ambitious collection with limited, specialized appeal. -- From Independent Publisher Betty Jones, MFCC, is a teacher, psychotherapist, and pioneer of Waldorf education in preschools and kindergartens in California, Hawaii, and New Zealand. She compiled the TREASURY to help counteract the influences of TV and technology on the very young, and to provide inspiration for the new wave of homeschool and charter school efforts in public education. Currently, she works in special education, practices art and sand-play therapy, gardens, and writes in Northern California. Used Book in Good Condition