A SAMPLE Earth Schooling PreSchool

Waldorf School Online
Pre-School Years SAMPLE Lesson Plans

NOTE: FULL E-book is 423 pages long
Anything in RED has been changed for the sample book only and is either different or not
located in the full-version.
Main Index
1. How to Start………………………………………………...4
2. January
a. Themes of the Month……………………………...10
b. Bread of the Month………………………………..10
c. Teacher Guide for the Month…………………….11
d. Index for the Month……………………………….31
e. Verses ………………………………………………33
f. Stories……………………………………………….36
g. Crafts……………………………………………….57
h. Lessons…………………………………...…………66
3. February
a. Themes of the Month………………………………67
b. Bread of the Month……………………………….67
c. Teacher Guide for the Month……………………68
d. Index for the Month……………………………..70
e. Verses …………………………………………….72
f. Stories……………………………………………..77
g. Crafts……………………………………………..87
h. Lessons……………………………………………95
4. March
a. Themes of the Month……………………………96
b. Bread of the Month………………………………96
c. Teacher Guide for the Month…………………..98
d. Index for the Month…………………………….99
e. Verses …………………………….…………….101
f. Stories……………………………………………105
g. Crafts…………………………………………….119
h. Lessons…………………………………………..122
EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 1

5. April
a. Themes of the Month………………………….124
b. Bread of the Month……………………………124
c. Teacher Guide for the Month…………………125
d. Index for the Month……………………………127
e. Verses …………………………………………..129
f. Stories………………………………………….144
g. Crafts…………………………………………..155
h. Lessons…………………………………………159
6. May
a. Themes of the Month…………………………160
c. Teacher Guide for the Month………………..162
d. Index for the Month…………………………..162
e. Verses …………………………………………164
f. Stories………………………………………….167
g. Crafts…………………………………………..183
h. Lessons…………………………………………190
7. June & July…………………………………………….190
8. August
b. Bread of the Month……………….…………..201
c. Teacher Guide for the Month………………..202
d. Index for the Month…………………………..203
e. Verses ………………………………………….206
f. Stories…………………………………………...209
g. Crafts……………………………………………241
h. Lessons………………………………………...248
9. September
c. Teacher Guide for the Month………………..NA
d. Index for the Month…………………….…….251
e. Verses ………………………………………….253
f. Stories………………………………………….304
g. Crafts…………………………………………..328
h. Lessons…………………………………………337

10. October
a. Themes of the Month…………………………295
d. Index for the Month………………………….297
e. Verses …………………………………………300
f. Stories…………………………………..……..304
g. Crafts…………………………………………..328
h. Lessons………………………………………...337
11. November
a. Themes of the Month…………………………..338
b. Bread of the Month…………………………….338
d. Index for the Month……………………………341
e. Verses …………………………………………..343
f. Stories…………………………………………...346
g. Crafts……………………………………………375
h. Lessons…………………………………………..383
12. December
a. Themes of the Month…………………………..384
b. Bread of the Month…………………………….384
c. Teacher Guide for the Month………………….387
d. Index for the Month…………………………….403
e. Verses ……………………………………………406
f. Stories…………………………………………….409
g. Crafts…………………………………………….416
h. Lessons…………………………………………..422

How to Start
You will need two resources at your disposal before you start. You do not need to completely
read these resources but you will NEED them as you create your lesson plans and start to teach.
Once you are enrolled as a member you can download these from your website. I will also be
sending these to you via E-mail. If you do not receive them please tell me.
Waldorf Yearly Lesson Plan Guide

This is a “look-ahead” guide for the year as well as a resource for different ideas on how
to plan your lessons, your day, your week, your month and your year. This guide talks also talks
about rhythms and the “whys” of what we are doing. Additionally, there is a guide to the “grades
and ages” in this packet so you know what is appropriate for each age.
Basic Waldorf Teacher Resources

These come in the form of downloadable handouts that you can read. These handouts
include all the basics for the lessons such as “How to Tell a Waldorf Story,” “How to Knit”,
“How to Finger-knit”, etc…All the basic bread recipes are found here as well.
Videos & MP3

These can all be found at your online page. You can log in to your online page by going to
www.EarthSchooling.com and using the following codes:
Username: PRESCHOOL
Password: XXXX

Opening Songs
We had different opening songs depending on the time of day we had class and the age of the
children. I tried to choose an opening song that would be the same for each age so as the child
moved up in age they looked forward to a different opening song. And don’t worry that they get
tired of it! Some kids I had sang the same opening song for two years and still loved it! Choose
what is appropriate for your family/group below and START your circle time with your chosen
song every morning.
You can see these verses being sung at: XXXX

This section includes over ten: Opening songs, transition verse songs, bread making songs,
nature walk songs, snack verses, clean-up verses and more. These are the basic verses you
will use all year. Each month also includes 7-12 circle-time verses which are different from
these.
Lessons
January
Themes
Main Waldorf Holidays
Western Calendar New Year
Three Kings Day
Themes
Animals (Chinese Calendar Theme)
Moon
Lunar and Solar Calendars
Snow & Ice (Western World)
Other Holidays and Themes
Mozart’s Birthday
Chinese New Year – January 26th
Dia De Los Reyes – Mexico
Martin Luther King Day

Bread of the Month
Donuts
I love to celebrate the new year with homemade donuts. You can have the children make the
dough or you can make it ahead of time and have them cut the shapes.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
2 ½ cups sugar
½ cup sour cream
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
Oil for deep-fat frying
Confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, beat eggs; add sugar, sour cream, butter and vanilla. Combine flour,
baking soda, salt and nutmeg; add to sour cream mixture alternately with buttermilk.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in.
doughnut cutter. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Fry
doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden, about 2 minutes; turn once with a slotted spoon.
Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread
pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
Teacher Guide for January

How did the Chinese Calendar Come to Be? Story for ALL
AGES...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_calendar
About World Calendars

The Diversity Calendar: http://oregonstate.edu/diversity/DivCal2007/index.htm
Chinese New Years
Rat
(1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008)
You are imaginative, charming and truly generous to the person you love. However, you
have a tendency to be quick-tempered and overly critical. You are also inclined to be
somewhat of an opportunist. Born under this sign, you should be happy in sales or as a
writer, critic, or publicist.
Ox
(1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009)
A born leader, you inspire confidence from all around you. You are conservative, methodical
and good with your hands. Guard against being chauvinistic and always demanding your
own way. The Ox would be successful as a skilled surgeon, general, or hairdresser.
Tiger
(1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)
You are sensitive, emotional and capable of great love. However, you have a tendency to get
carried away and be stubborn about what you think is right; often seen as a "Hothead" or
rebel. Your sign shows you would be excellent as a boss, an explorer, a race car driver, or a
matador.

Rabbit
(1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011)
You are the kind of person that people like to be around-affectionate, obliging, always
pleasant. You have a tendency, though, to get too sentimental and seem superficial. Being
cautious and conservative, you are successful in business but would also make a good lawyer,
diplomat, or actor.
Dragon
(1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)
Full of vitality and enthusiasm, the Dragon is a popular individual even with the reputation of
being foolhardy and a "big mouth" at times. You are intelligent, gifted and a perfectionist but
these qualities make you unduly demanding on others. You would be well-suited to be an
artist, priest, or politician.
Snake
(1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)
Rich in wisdom and charm, you are romantic and deep thinking and your intuition guides you
strongly. Avoid procrastination and your stingy attitude towards money. Keep your sense of
humor about life. The Snake would be most content as a teacher, philosopher, writer,
psychiatrist and fortune teller.
Horse
(1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)
Your capacity for hard work is amazing. You are your own person-very independent. While
intelligent and friendly, you have a strong streak of selfishness and sharp cunning and should
guard against being egotistical. Your sign suggests success as an adventurer, scientist, poet,
or politician.
Sheep
(1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)
Except for the knack of always getting off on the wrong foot with people, the Sheep can be
charming company. You are elegant and artistic but the first to complain about things. Put
aside your pessimism and worry and try to be less dependent on material comforts. You
would be best as an actor, gardener, or beachcomber.
Monkey
(1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)
You are very intelligent and have a very clever wit. Because of your extraordinary nature
and magnetic personality you are always well-liked. The Monkey, however, must guard
against being an opportunist and distrustful of other people. Your sign promises success in
any field you try.

Rooster
(1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)
The Rooster is a hard worker; shrewd and definite in decision making often speaking his
mind. Because of this you tend to seem boastful to others. You are a dreamer, flashy dresser
and extravagant to an extreme. Born under this sign you should be happy as a restaurant
owner, publicist, soldier, or world traveler.
Dog
(1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)
The Dog will never let you down. Born under this sign you are honest and faithful to those
you love. You are plagued by constant worry, a sharp tongue and a tendency to be a fault
finder. You would make an excellent businessman, activist, teacher or secret agent.
Wild Boar
(1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019)
You are a splendid companion -- an intellectual with a very strong need to set difficult goals
and carry them out. You are sincere, tolerant and honest but by expecting the same from
others you are incredibly naive. Your quest for material goods could be your downfall. The
Pig would be best in the arts as an entertainer, or possibly a lawyer.
Once Round the Sun

You can tell this story slowly throughout the month for younger children. For older children,
have them read a bit each day. It is a story of a boy who learns about how the year works. A
wonderful and educational adventure!
This is a wonderful story to read a bit of each day. It tells of a boy’s adventures learning
about the secrets of the YEAR! He starts with the New Year and travels onward…
Story by Elsa Titchenell, 1950
Copyright Expired
Peter put his brand-new roller-skates in the corner where he could see them first thing in the
morning. Then he left his clothes on a chair and got into bed. His mind was buzzing with the
questions he had forgotten to ask during the day.
"Oh, how I wish everybody would answer everything I ask them," he thought.
"Do you really wish that?" said a little voice at his elbow. Peter looked up quickly.
There was a tiny little man with a funny big hat sitting on the side of his bed. "Because if you
do, we might be able to arrange it." murmured the little man, and stroked his long beard. His
hand was no bigger than Peter's little fingernail.
"Who are you?" asked Peter, surprised.
"It doesn't matter who I am," said the little man. "But you may call me Uncle
Peppercorn. Come on," he said. "Hurry up. We've got a long way to go before morning."
Peter obediently got out of bed and dressed quickly. The little man jumped on Peter's
shoulder.
"Hang on tight!" he shouted. "Here we go!"

Peter didn't know what he was supposed to hang on to, but he didn't have time to ask.
Before he could say "what?" they were off, flying through the dark night, up, up, far above
the houses.
Away they went among the stars in the big blue nothing until Peter couldn't tell which
was the earth they had come from. All the stars were blinking and twinkling all around them
and Peter wondered if HE were blinking and twinkling too.
Then they came to a star that looked bigger than the others. It grew and grew until they
finally landed on a jutting mountain-top of this strange and beautiful star.
"Where are we?" wondered Peter. "Where's the earth?"
"We're about halfway to the North Pole of the sky," said Uncle Peppercorn. "Look, you
can just see the earth down there," and he pointed out into space.
"Which one is it?" said Peter, growing quite dizzy looking at the millions of pin-points
of light in the dark blue sky.
"See that sun over there?" asked the little man. "The one to the left of that big fellow?"
"Oh, yes," said Peter. "Is that the earth?"
Uncle Peppercorn gave a chuckle. "How conceited you fellows are!" he said. "No, the
earth's the third little speck drifting round it. You can just see it if you screw your eyes up
tight." He climbed up on the bridge of Peter's nose and shaded his eyes with both arms. "Now
can you see it?"
"Ye-es," said Peter uncertainly. "It looks awfully small."
"It is," said Uncle Peppercorn. "The earth is just a little ball that rolls round and round
the sun. It's spinning like a big top all the time, so that the people on one side of it see the sun
half the time, and the people on the other side see the sun the other half of the time. Day and
night, you know."
"I don't understand," said Peter.
"Haven't you noticed how the sun comes up on one side of the sky and goes down on the
other?"
"Oh, yes," Peter said, proud to know this. "It rises in the East and sets in the West."
"Yes, only it doesn't really rise and set. You can see from here. The sun stays there and
the earth spins round it. Every time it turns around, the sun shines on different sides of it."
Suddenly he jumped lightly to the ground. There were lots of bright shiny stones lying
about on this strange star. Uncle Peppercorn picked up one of them and put it on a flat rock.
Then he turned to Peter.
"Where's your top?" he asked.
"My top?" Peter was surprised. He felt in his pocket and pulled out a piece of string,
some rusty nails, and finally his top.
"How did you know I had a top in my pocket?" asked Peter.
"It doesn't matter how I knew," said Uncle Peppercorn testily. "Put it down here."

When Peter had put the top on the rock, Uncle Peppercorn looked at it carefully and then
stretched up on tip-toe to touch the smooth sides. "Does this thing work?" he asked.
"Sure it works!" Peter picked it up and wound the string round it. He set it spinning on
the flat rock and it started to spin in a wide circle round the bright stone that lay in the middle
of the rock. Uncle Peppercorn jumped quickly out of the way.
"You don't have to let in run over me!" he cried.
"Why, look!" cried Peter. "It's going round the sun." For Peter was still thinking of the
earth and the sun, and the top looked just like a little planet going round and round a shining
sun.
"Is that how the earth moves?" he asked.
"That's right," said Uncle Peppercorn. "The earth is like a great big top and it turns
around many many times, while it's going just once round the sun. It seems to go quite slowly
because we're so small."
Peter looked at little Uncle Peppercorn and couldn't help smiling. Uncle Peppercorn was
so very small. But Uncle Peppercorn knew what Peter was thinking and he drew himself up
to his full three inches.
"I'm just as big for me as you are big for you," he said, frowning at Peter. "and you're
very small beside the earth, you know."
"I'm sorry!" said Peter. :"I didn't mean to be rude."
"That's all right!" Uncle Peppercorn smiled again. "You see the earth is so much bigger
than both of us that it only has to turn round once to make a whole day and night for us. And
it takes a whole year to travel round the sun."
Just then the top ran down and Peter picked it up and set it spinning again. Once more it
started its journey, spinning round and round itself and at the same time traveling slowly
round the shining stone.
"I should think it would get dizzy," said Peter. "Is it fever that makes it hot in summer?"
Uncle Peppercorn chuckled. "No," he said. "Look carefully and see if you notice
something about the way the top stands when it spins."
Peter bent down and looked carefully at the spinning top.
"I don't see anything," he said.
"Look again" said Uncle Peppercorn. "Is it quite straight?"
"Oh! said Peter. "No, of course it isn't. It wobbles a little."
"Of course a top wobbles more than the earth," said Uncle Peppercorn. "The earth
wobbles so slowly that it takes thousands of years for one little wobble. That's why the earth
stays a bit crooked for a very long time. It's a bit crooked now."
Peter caught the top just as it wobbled right off the rock. He laughed. "I hope the earth
doesn't do that!" he said.
Uncle Peppercorn gave his deep chuckle. "Spin it again!" he said.
Peter spun it again, and the top traveled around as before.
"Now, look carefully," said Uncle Peppercorn. "You see how, when it's crooked, the top
end, that is the north end, comes nearer the sun when the earth is on one side of the sun, and
is farther away when the earth is on the other side of the sun?"

"Oh, yes!" cried peter. "When the north is nearer it gets more sunlight than the other
end, even while it's turning all the time."
"Right!" said Uncle Peppercorn. "Suppose you were living on the top end, north of the
middle. What season would it be there?"
"What season?" Oh! I see." Peter thought a minute. "Oh, is that what makes the
summer?"
Peter was thrilled. He had worked it out by himself.
"Then," he cried, quite excited, "it must be winter down below. And then when it gets to
the other side of the sun, it's summer down below and winter on top. So that must be why
there is one winter and one summer every year! And all the time there are lots of days and
nights because it keeps spinning round by itself all the time too."
"My,my!" Uncle Peppercorn blinked at Peter under his funny big hat. "You're even
quicker than I thought. Maybe we can give you the BIG YEAR."
"What's the Big Year?" Peter sensed something exciting. "Well," said Uncle Peppercorn,
"it's something that only very few people can get. I don't quite know about you."
"Oh, please tell me," Peter begged. He was excited but he didn't know why.
"First you tell me," said Uncle Peppercorn, "what would you do if somebody asked you
a question?"
"Why, I'd answer them, of course.
"Always?" Uncle Peppercorn's voice was suddenly very stern.
"Well," Peter stopped. "If I knew the answer," he added doubtfully.
"All right!" Uncle Peppercorn jumped on to Peter's shoulder. "You'll do," he said. "just
remember that and you can ask anybody anything you want to know."
He pointed down again to where the little speck of earth rolled. The third speck from the
little sun, to the left of the big fellow.
"Look carefully," Uncle Peppercorn said. "You see where the earth is new. It's going to
go all round the sun and you're going with it. Only now you'll KNOW you're going with it.
Until it gets back to the same place again, you may ask all the questions you like of
everything and everybody on it. And everything will answer you in its own special way. If
you ask good questions you'll get good answers. If you ask silly questions you'll get silly
answers. The earth and the trees and the grass and the sky, land and sea -- they'll all answer
you, until you get back to the same place again."
Uncle Peppercorn climbed up on Peter's nose, so Peter had to squint to see him.
"Remember," he said sternly and waved his forefinger that was the size of one bristle of a
toothbrush, "you must always answer all the questions of others, too."
Peter squinted at the little man perched on the end of his nose and Uncle Peppercorn
looked so funny that he started to laugh. Uncle Peppercorn hurriedly grabbed hold of Peter's
right eyebrow and said pettishly:
"Don't do that! It's rude .. . . And I might fall down and break my neck," he added "Then
how would you get back home?"
Peter apologized at once. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to frighten you. And I
promise to answer everybody's questions if only I can find out the answers first."

"O.K." said Uncle Peppercorn, letting go of Peter's eyebrow. He chuckled to himself.
"You look pretty funny yourself, you know, squinting down at the end of you nose." He
climbed back to Peter's shoulder. Suddenly he shouted:
"Hang on, here we go!"
Peter gasped. It was so very sudden. They were off in the big blue sky again with all the
twinkles around them everywhere. Peter lost track of where they were. For a moment he was
afraid Uncle Peppercorn might not be able to find the earth among all the sparkling things.
Then he saw it. It was the third speck from the sun that was coming nearer and nearer.
Suddenly they were back home. They just missed the moon and landed quite softly on the
earth.
"Here we are." said Uncle Peppercorn calmly. "Is there anything you want to ask me
before I go away?"
"Don't' go away," said Peter. "I like you. Aren't you going to stay with me?"
"I'll be around if you need me," said Uncle Peppercorn.
With that he vanished, and Peter was alone in a big forest.
Build a Snowman, Peter

The trees were bare and quiet. All the world seemed to be asleep. Peter felt very lonely
after Uncle Peppercorn had left him and he didn't know which way to go. He wanted to cry,
but then he remembered that he was seven years old, and boys don't cry when they're seven.
So he started to run through the woods to see if he couldn't find Uncle Peppercorn.
"Uncle Peppercorn!" he cried. "Uncle Peppercorn!" But there was only silence.
Peter stood there sadly and wondered what to do next. It was funny that Uncle
Peppercorn, who was only as big as one of Peter's fingers, should make all that difference.
Peter was very, very lonely.
He had just sat down on the root of a tree when he heard a small voice beside him.
"Excuse me!" said the voice.
Peter looked all around, but he didn't see anybody. Only a squirrel that was trying to get
by him to climb up to its home in a hollow of the tree.
"Excuse me!" said the squirrel again.
"Oh!" said Peter and moved aside quickly. "I didn't know you were speaking to me. I
never heard a squirrel speak before."
"That's all right," said Squirrel. "You haven't got used to the Big Year yet, I suppose.
Uncle Peppercorn told me about you. You're Peter."
"Yes, said Peter. And there the conversation ended. Squirrel busied herself cleaning out
her nest and was sweeping it with a straw, while Peter watched.
She swept a large dead beetle out of the nest and leaned on her straw.
"Uncle Peppercorn told me it's going to snow today, so
I'm getting my nest cozy, because we'll be staying indoors for a while. What are you going to
do?"
"I -- I don't know," said Peter.

"I'd like to invite you in," said Squirrel, "but you're rather big. Perhaps you'd better try
somewhere else."
Just then a big snowflake drifted down and melted on Peter's nose.
He turned to Squirrel and laughed.
"Did you see that?" he asked. "I love snow, don't you?" Then he remembered his
manners and said politely:
"Thank you very much for inviting me even if I can't get in."
Another big flake lighted on his sleeve, and soon the air was white with whirling specks
of snow. There was a deep soft silence and the snowflakes danced their graceful way to the
earth. Soon every branch and twig was covered.
Peter caught hundreds of snowflakes in his hands and looked at their pretty little six-
pointed stars. "You are beautiful, he murmured.
"Hullo, Peter tinkled a little voice. "Do you think we look nice?"
"I'm trying to find two of you that are alike," said Peter. "Will you help me?"
The snowflakes all laughed together.
"Oh, Peter!" they laughed. "Don't you know that no two of us are alike? Try if you want
to, but you'll never find a pair."
And they all laughed again.
Suddenly a gruff voice spoke:
"It isn't very nice of you to laugh at poor Peter. How was he to know that you're all
different? He's no snowflake."
It was Uncle Peppercorn. He was standing on a twig and looking around him very
sternly.
"Hullo, Uncle Peppercorn!" sang the snowflakes. "If he isn't a snowflake, he must be a
snowman." And the impudent snowflakes laughed some more.
Peter looked at himself, and he laughed too.
"I look like one, don't I?"
"You certainly do," smiled Uncle Peppercorn. "How would you like to build one?"
All the snowflakes shouted together:
"Build a snowman, Peter! Build a snowman!"
"Sure," said Peter. He scraped up snowflakes in both hands, and they all snuggled as
close together as they could.
Soon he had a lovely snowman. Uncle Peppercorn tried to help too, but he couldn't do
very much because he was so small. So he just stood on the twig and told Peter what to do.
"Now you want two acorns," said Uncle Peppercorn, when the snowman was ready.
Peter picked up two acorns that had been lying under the snow and put them in the
snowman's face.
"What about a pipe?" said Uncle Peppercorn. Peter looked

for a bent twig to put in the snowman's mouth. At last he chose the one Uncle
Peppercorn was standing on. As he started to break it off, his little friend suddenly
disappeared.
"Oh!" said Peter. "I hope he didn't think I was rude."
He was quite worried because he had begun to depend on having Uncle Peppercorn
around to show him what to do.
He looked everywhere, but he couldn't find him.
The snowflakes wanted him to come and play some more, but Peter was too worried
about losing Uncle Peppercorn.
At last he walked sadly away through the snow, wondering what was to become of him
in the big white silence.
Grrmph! Peter, Grrr!

Peter stopped by a little stream that was frozen solid except for a tiny trickle in the
middle. Suddenly he heard a gruff voice, saying:
"Grrmph! Peter, Grrr!"
A big black bear was coming toward him with its funny clumsy walk. Peter was so
frightened he couldn't even run away. He just stood there and expected that the bear would
swallow him whole. "Grrmph!" said the bear again.
"How do you do," said Peter, trying not to tremble. Uncle Peppercorn had said that he
could ask anybody anything, but he hadn't said anything about big black bears and what you
were supposed to do with them.
"Fine, " said Bear, "but sleepy."
Then Peter understood that the bear wasn't angry at all. He only said "Grrmph!" as a sort
of greeting.
Suddenly Bear gave a huge yawn. Peter jumped. Was the bear going to eat him after all?
"Just going to turn in," yawned Bear. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," said Peter.
"Room for one more," growled Bear. "You'd better come with me."
Peter wasn't quite sure that he wanted to. The bear was so very gruff. But it was cold
outside, so he thought he would at, least go and see where the bear lived.
There was a nice big hole in a rock. Almost like a cave, thought Peter. It was dry and
carefully furnished with twigs and dry leaves that were soft to lie on.
The bear curled up in the den and showed Peter where he could curl up beside him. Peter
sat down carefully. With a last "Grrmph!" the bear was fast asleep.
It was cozy in the den. Peter curled up close to the rough woolly coat of the bear and
soon he was fast asleep too.
Peter was asleep for a long time when a sharp voice awoke him saying, "Come on,
Peter! You can't stay here all your life." It was Uncle Peppercorn.
"Oh!" said Peter, rubbing his eyes, "what time is it?"

"Time you got up," said Uncle Peppercorn. "You've been asleep nearly a week."
"A week!" shouted Peter. The bear stirred uneasily, and Peter lowered his voice. "A
week!" he whispered. "But why is HE still asleep?" he asked.
"He sleeps for a couple of months," said Uncle Peppercorn. "Come on!"
Peter crawled out of the bear's den as quietly as he could. When they were outside he
asked: "Why does he sleep so long?"
"He sleeps all winter. That's just like a night to him."
"Does he stay awake all summer then?" asked Peter.
"Not quite. He sleeps and wakes, nights and days, just like you do during one lifetime."
Peter thought for a while. Then he said:
"I suppose that's right-if he knows about the earth going round the sun. Does he, Uncle
Peppercorn?"
"Well," said Uncle Peppercorn, "he knows in a way, but not like you do. He feels it. You
UNDERSTAND it."
"Oh!" said Peter, not quite sure that he did.
"By the way," said Uncle Peppercorn, "you were afraid of the bear, weren't you?"
"Yes," Peter said, a little ashamed of himself.
"You needn't be," said Uncle Peppercorn. "As long as you have the Big Year, everything
is friendly. Bear has a gruff voice, but he would never hurt anybody who has the Big Year."
"Oh!" said Peter. "Then I needn't ever be afraid."
"That's the point," said Uncle Peppercorn. "If you are afraid, you lose the Big Year. You
nearly lost it then. If you had run away from the bear, he MIGHT have hurt you."
Peter remembered how he had wanted to run away.
"Never be afraid, Peter," said Uncle Peppercorn.
I Have to be Somewhere Else Soon

It was very quiet under the big spruce trees where Peter wandered along and listened to
the drip, drip of melting snow from the branches.
"Hullo, Peter, " said a small voice at his feet.
Peter looked down and there stood a tiny snowdrop, peeping up through the carpet of
pine needles.
"Hi!" He bent down and looked at the pretty white flower. "Who are you?"
"I'm Snowdrop. Have you seen my cousin Violet yet?"
"No, I haven't noticed any."
"Oh, dear! That's too bad of her. Now I shall have to go away without seeing her again.
She was late last year too."
"I'm sorry," said Peter. "Maybe I could give her a message for you. She'll show up some
time. Why do you have to go away? Can't you wait till she comes?"
"I can't very well," Snowdrop hesitated a little. "You see, I have to be somewhere else
soon."

"But you can't move. How can you go away?" Peter looked carefully and saw that the
snowdrop was firmly rooted to the Spot.
"Oh, that's easy. I just die here and bloom higher up the mountain, and farther up north."
"Oh, I see," said Peter doubtfully, but he wasn't at all sure that he did. "I'll have to ask
Uncle Peppercorn about this," he thought to himself.
"Did you want me?" Peter knew Uncle Peppercorn's voice and looked all around, but he
was nowhere in sight. Then he heard a familiar chuckle.
"Here, on your sleeve," said Uncle Peppercorn. "Don't look so startled."
"I'm not," mumbled Peter. "Not at all. But I wish you'd give me warning."
"Well, what did you want to ask me?"
Peter racked his brains. "I'm afraid I've forgotten."
"About me," said Snowdrop.
"Oh, yes! How did you know?"
"You were using my language," said Snowdrop. "You know . . . thought-language."
"Yes, Uncle Peppercorn, how can she move?"
"Remember about the earth going round the track?" asked Uncle Peppercorn.
"0h, " said Peter. "You mean we're getting this end nearer the sun and that makes spring
come here. Now I understand. But why must she go somewhere else?"
"Well, spring is moving northward, of course."
"Oh, dear!" said Peter. "It looked so easy from away out there, but it's very complicated
from here, isn't it?"
"Well, look!" Uncle Peppercorn jumped to the ground and stood leaning against the
snowdrop. He turned to apologize. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Not a bit," said Snowdrop. "Just don't push my petals. They're about ready to fall off."
She paused. "Unless, of course, you'd rather I left you."
"No, no," said Uncle Peppercorn. "Do stay for a while."
"Now," he said, turning to Peter, "Snowdrop here He gave her stem a gentle pat.
"Ouch!" said Snowdrop. "There goes my first petal." And a creamy petal fluttered to the
ground.
"I'm so sorry," said Uncle Peppercorn. "It must have been very loose."
"Go on, don't mind me, said Snowdrop bravely, but her head began to droop a little
lower.
"Well, as I was saying
Uncle Peppercorn continued. "Oh, dear, there she goes again." And another petal fell
softly at his feet.
"Never mind, I'll say goodby now," said Snowdrop faintly. "I'll see you later. I'm just
starting to bud up north."
"I think I understand, said Peter. "I think you do too," said Uncle Peppercorn, and
vanished.

But You Do Babble, Don't You?
Peter was feeling rather sad at leaving the little dead snowdrop and he started to walk up
the mountain to see if he could find another.
After a while he came to a brook that was singing to itself, as it danced and sparkled
over the pebbles.
"Hullo, Peter. Nice to see you."
"Hullo." Peter looked all around to see who was talking.
"Here," giggled Brook, "you should know my voice. It's louder than usual, because I'm
full of melting snow from the mountains."
"Oh?" Peter looked toward the snowy crest where the brook had its spring, and he
suddenly thought of something.
"Did you see a snowdrop up there?" he asked.
"A few, " said Brook. "They're just starting, but it's still rather early. It's much colder up
there, you know."
"What about violets?"
"Not yet," said Brook, "but they'll come. Why, were you looking for some?"
"Well, yes. A snowdrop asked me to give her regards to a violet, and I haven't seen one
yet."
"You will, chanted Brook. "Do you want to sing with me? I'm awfully busy, with so
much snow-water to carry all the way to Ocean, and I. always sing when I work."
"Why do you have to work so hard?" asked Peter.
"I do it because I like to." Brook gave an extra little swirl between two big stones, and twisted
and churned with delight. "Ocean is always sending a lot of water up into the clouds, and the
clouds drop their snow on the mountains. Then I have to carry it all back to Ocean, so it can
start all over again."
"What a waste of time, 11 said Peter.
"Waste of time, indeed!" Brook bubbled indignantly. "What would you do if I didn't
bring you nice fresh clean water to drink, I'd like to know? And how would anything grow?
Things don't live without water, you know. EVERYTHING depends on the work I do."
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Peter. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm sure you're very
important."
"Well, " said Brook, bubbling softly, "I'm not the only brook, you know. Let's get this
straight. I don't want you to think we brooks are conceited or anything. Some brooks have
made that mistake and tried to make out they were the only dribbles in the world. And what
happened?" He paused. "They dried up! And that was the end of them. No, we brooks aren't
important, but the work we do is very important. Like you. You aren't important. But you
THINK! And that's very important. See what I mean?"
"You mean my thinking is more important than I am? I don't understand that," said
Peter.
"Oh, dear!" said a familiar voice. Peter turned and saw Uncle Peppercorn perched on a small
rock. "You're always getting puzzled about something," he grumbled. "I guess that's what I
get for giving a small boy the Big Year. Well, what do you want to know?"

"Brook says I'm not important but my thinking is. How can a thought be more important
than a thinker?"
"It isn't," said Uncle Peppercorn. "But if you didn't think you wouldn't be a thinker.
See?"
"Oh, now I understand," said Peter.
"That's what Brook means, " said Uncle Peppercorn. "He talks so much, he doesn't say
anything very clearly, but he means well."
"Means well, indeed!" Brook spluttered angrily. "What could be clearer than I am?" and
he calmed his crystal water so that Peter could see every pebble in the cool deep.
"You are very clear and beautiful, we all know that," said Uncle Peppercorn, "but you do
babble, don't you?"
"Of course I do. That's my job," gurgled Brook happily and sent up a spray of foam that
almost drowned poor Uncle Peppercorn, so that he had to vanish quickly.
"He's an old pepper-pot, isn't he?" chuckled Brook.
It All Has to be Washed

For quite a long time Peter followed the brook. It wound through forests and plains and
fields until it became a big river. On the way he met Violet and gave her Snowdrop's
message.
Violet blew him a puff of perfume and thanked him.
"Give my love to Rose, when you see her," she said.
After a long time the big river came down to the ocean. Peter had never met Ocean
before.
"It's awfully big," he whispered to himself. "How can there be that much water?"
"You don't see very much of it," roared Ocean, and splashed huge waves on the shore
with a scatter of spray. "There's much more underneath."
"How far does it go?" Peter asked.
"Well, you see where the edge seems to be?" said Ocean. "That's just the beginning. It
looks like an edge because that's where the earth turns over. Wherever you go on my surface,
you'll still keep seeing the edge all around. Like an ant on a baseball."
Peter laughed. He could imagine an ant on a baseball thinking the edge of the world was
where he couldn't see any farther. It would look just like a plate. Like the ocean, in fact.
Peter picked up a pebble and threw it at a big wave. Then he remembered that Ocean
was alive too, and he hastened to apologize.
"Oh, that's all right," said Ocean. "People do that all the time. I don't mind at all. It saves
me the trouble of inching the stones down one by one."
"Do you have to do that?"
"Oh, yes. Sooner or later every grain of sand comes down to the bottom, and all those
that are on the bottom come up on the beach. It's a regular turning over all the time."
"Why?" asked Peter.
"It all has to be washed. You wouldn't wear the same clothes forever without washing
them, would you?"

"There must be an awful lot of stones on the bottom, then."
"Sure there are. Some of them come down from high mountains and get smaller and
smaller on the way."
"But how do they get down?" asked Peter.
Suddenly Uncle Peppercorn appeared, crawling out of Peter's pocket.
"Ouch!" said Peter. "That tickles."
"Nonsense!" said Uncle Peppercorn. "I'm too little to tickle anybody."
He assumed his best schoolmaster manner and pointed his tiny finger at Peter, as he
balanced on a button of Peter's shirt.
"You wanted to know how the pebbles get down. What do you think Brook was doing?
Eh?"
"Carrying water," said Peter. "What else?"
"You'd be surprised how much else goes along with the water, said Uncle Peppercorn.
"Stones and seeds and rubbish and weeds. All kinds of things."
Suddenly he laughed. "You're a funny boy. 'Don't you want to play in the water?"
"Oh!" cried Peter. "May I? Won't Ocean mind?"
"Of course not!" Ocean burst into a broad laugh all along the edge, and all the little
waves broke into a thousand ripples of laughter. "Come on in, the water's fine!"
Peter rushed down to the edge and began to play in the water. Big white horses came
racing along the surface and broke into galloping foam that turned into smaller and smaller
ripples. But they were all careful to soften down near Peter. They can be rather rough
sometimes, and Peter was so small and helpless, when they tumbled all over him and rolled
him round and round.
At last he sat down on the beach, quite tired, and he found

that Uncle Peppercorn was still clinging to his buttonhole, drenched and miserable.
"Why, Uncle Peppercorn!" he cried in dismay. "You're all wet! Why didn't you
disappear and keep dry?"
"Well," grumbled Uncle Peppercorn, shaking the water out
of his hat, a little water won't hurt me, but a lot of it might hurt you. Got to look after
you, you know."
With that he vanished.
It All Comes from the Root, You Know

Ocean was sorry to see Peter go and brought up a beautiful shell for Peter to take with
him. It was a cowrie that Peter could put to his ear and hear Ocean roaring far away, as if it
were inside the shell. He walked for a long time, meeting many strange things, but quite often
he would stop and take the shell out of his pocket and listen to the song of Ocean deep inside.
One day he was walking through a wood. There were many trees and they were all full
of bright green leaves, and dull green leaves, light green leaves and dark green leaves, and
most of them had flowers and smelled good.
Peter sniffed the air and listened to their whispering about him.

"That's Peter," he heard one tree say to another. "He's been given the Big Year. Do you
think we should talk to him or shall we wait until he asks us something?" Because trees are
very well-bred and never upset your thoughts if you want to be quiet. But Peter had heard the
soft murmur. He turned to the walnut-tree and smiled.
"I didn't mean to listen," he said, "but I couldn't help hearing what you said. Would you
like to talk to me?"
"Of course, said Walnut. "Is there anything you want to talk about particularly?"
"I was just wondering," said Peter, "where you got your pretty clothes. You looked quite
sad and bare when I passed this way before."
"We grow them ourselves," rustled Birch. She swayed gracefully in the breeze. "I'm glad
you like them."
"I think they're beautiful," said Peter. "How do you do it?"
"Oh, it all comes from the root, you know," chimed in Maple. "The life starts
underground and grows from inside, until we get big and grow more and more leaves and
pretty things."
"I wish I could do that, 11 said Peter sadly. "My clothes are kind of ragged-looking next
to yours."
"Oh, but you do grow yours," growled a big oak. "Never grumble, young man. You
grow even more wonderful clothes than we do."
"What DO you mean?" exclaimed Peter, looking down at his faded jeans.
"I don't mean your outside clothes. I mean your body," said Oak.
"What about it?" Peter was really puzzled now.
"Uh-huh! I knew you wouldn't get far without calling on me, came the voice of Uncle
Peppercorn from Peter's shoulder. "NOW what's puzzling you?"
"Oak there says I grow my body. How can I?"
"Well, look at yourself," said Uncle Peppercorn. "You've got a different body from
everybody else, haven't you?"
"Oh, sure," said Peter.
"Well, it's a Peter-body. See? Oak has an Oak-body. I have an Uncle Peppercorn-body -
more or less. Rather less, really, because mine is kind of special."
"I see that, said Peter. "You keep vanishing, so it isn't a very solid one. But how do I
grow mine?"
"From inside, of course. You're you, so you grow one to fit you. You wouldn't fit in any
other."
Peter thought for a long time. Then he said: "Of course. That explains why everybody
looks different. Because they ARE diff erent."
"Hm!" said Uncle Peppercorn. "It's time you met some other flowers. Have you
delivered that message to the rose yet?"
"I haven't seen a rose yet," said Peter.
"O.K., come along." Uncle Peppercorn leaped to the ground and started off. His little
legs took him along so fast that Peter could only just manage to keep up. Soon they came to a

lovely garden. There were white roses and red roses, iris, lilies and lupine, purple pansies and
golden primroses. And here and there was a dandelion that had managed to keep out of the
gardener's sight long enough to blossom.
Uncle Peppercorn stopped by a bush with pale pink roses. A big golden bee fumbled
past Peter and crept into a half open rose.
"What's he doing?" asked Peter.
"He's getting honey from the rose," said Uncle Peppercorn.
"That isn't all he's doing," smiled Rose. "He's picking up pollen on his woolly coat and
taking it over to the other roses."
"What for?"
"Because the pollen has to go to other roses so they can grow seeds. The bees all help us
and we help them. Didn't you know that everything works together?"
Peter was thinking. "I think I see," he murmured. "The brook helps the ocean, the ocean
washes the land, the land feeds the trees, the flowers feed the insects, the insects carry the
pollen. Gee, it's wonderful, isn't it?"
Then a new thought struck him.
"What do I do?" he asked. "I seem to be the only useless one in the whole lot. Maybe I
could carry pollen or something. I'm afraid I'd be too clumsy, though," he added sadly.
"Don't worry, Peter." Uncle Peppercorn's voice was unusually kind. "You'll have your
own work to do. You can't ever do somebody else's, so you'll just have to find your own. But
you will in time."
He jumped up on Peter's shoulder, and snuggled into his collar.
"Walk along a bit," he whispered, "I don't want Rose to hear this."
"Just a minute, " said Peter, remembering his promise to Violet. "Violet sent you her
love, Rose. Goodby now."
"Goodby," whispered Rose, opening a new petal.
As Peter walked away from the rose-bush, Uncle Peppercorn said:
"I don't want to hurt her feelings, because she can't do the wonderful things you are
going to do."
"Me! Why I'm no good for anything," said Peter unhappily.
"You are good for much more than these others." Uncle Peppercorn was stern again.
"Remember I said you can think?"
"M-m-m - yes."
"Well, ALL this is a great big thought," said Uncle Peppercorn, waving his arm to the
garden and the fields around. "It's a beautiful thought of a great and wonderful mind."
"0h , Gee! Do you think I can think . . . "
"Now, wait a minute," said Uncle Peppercorn, "you're only just starting. But you can
think fine and useful thoughts, and if,you remember not to think of yourself, some day you'll
be a thinker of worlds like this too."
Suddenly Uncle Peppercorn was gone and Peter was alone again. But he didn't mind. He
had so much to think about.

You've Got Something Very Precious
All through the summer Peter wandered through the Woods and fields and learned to
speak the different languages of all the woodland creatures.
"Oh, dear, he was thinking to himself, "the sunshine is starting to move south again and
autumn is coming. Soon my Big Year will be over and I'll never be able to talk to the fields
and the trees any more."
"Cheer up, Peter," said the voice of Uncle Peppercorn. The little man was sitting in an
acorncup, rocking gently back and forth.
"You've got something very precious, that you can keep forever."
"What's that?" asked Peter, surprised.
"You've got Memory. If you can keep your mind from getting cloudy with all the
cobwebs people collect as they grow up, you'll continue to have the Big Year for ever and
ever. It will be a Big Life instead of just one year."
"Oh, Uncle Peppercorn!" Peter could have hugged him, but he was afraid of hurting his
little friend.
So he just picked him up and held him high in front of his face. "Do you really mean that?"
"If you'll put me down. . . !" spluttered Uncle Peppercorn indignantly. "This is no
position for a dignified old gentleman!"
Then Peter saw that he was holding Uncle Peppercorn upside down. He quickly
apologized and turned him over. Uncle Peppercorn straddled Peter's little finger and went on
talking:
"You still have some time left before the year is over, anyway, and the more you
manage to find out, the more treasures you'll have to remember. So you'd better get on with
it," he added sternly and vanished.
I'm Getting Very Sleepy

Peter was in a hurry. He wanted to find out as much as he could before the Big Year was
over, and he didn't know where to begin. He rushed along so fast he hardly noticed that a
twig from his old friend Maple had caught in his shirt and held him back.
"Oh," he gasped. "Let me go."
"Where are you going so fast?" asked Maple, but Peter was already far away.
He stumbled over a root of the big oak and fell flat on his face.
"What's your hurry?" grumbled Oak. "You might stop and say how-do-you-do to your
friends."
"Where are you rushing to, anyway?" rustled Birch.
Peter, who was just ready to run on, stopped short.
"I - I don't know," he stammered.
"If you took time out to look where you're going you might not miss so much," grouched
Oak. "And it would save wear and tear on your knees, too," he added, looking at Peter's legs.
"Oh, dear!" said Peter. "They're bleeding."
“Here!" said a new voice, and Peter saw a broad flat leaf on the ground. "My name's
Dock. Put me on your knee and it'll stop bleeding."

"Thank you!" said Peter as he wrapped the dock-leaf around his sore knee.
"Say," he said, looking at Maple, "you ARE pretty. And you too," he added to Birch.
Birch shook her golden leaves gaily and said: "Nice, aren't they? They won't last long
though."
"Oh, that's too bad," said Peter.
"It doesn't matter," said Birch, "I'll grow new ones in spring. I like green better anyway."
"You vain little thing," mumbled Oak. "In a way, I'd rather like to be an evergreen."
"What's the difference?" asked Peter.
"You know those firs and pines," said Oak, "they have needles for leaves, and they're
green all the time."
"I heard a juniper say he was tired of it, though," said Peter. "You're probably better off
as you are."
"Peter's right," said Maple, rustling her crimson dress. "I wouldn't want to change my
brilliant colors for little green needles, even if they do last. Besides, they don't. They're
changing all the time. That's why the tree always looks green."
"Why, that's what I do," said Peter. "I always look like me, but I know I'm not, because
I'm changing so fast I'm never the same twice."
"I guess we all do," said Oak. He yawned loudly. "Ho,
hum! It's going to feel good to go to sleep." Suddenly he shouted loudly:

"Hi, there! Going back?"
Peter looked up and saw a flock of wild geese flying overhead. They flew in two lines
like a big V.
The leading goose answered without breaking the beautiful formation:
"Hullo there, Oak. Still awake?"
"Just going to turn in," answered Oak. "Would you mind giving me a shout to wake me
up when you come back?"
"Sure, don't we always?" said Goose. "We'll be back with the sunshine. Goodby now."
"Goodby, goodby!" came the echo, as all the geese made their farewells, still keeping
perfectly in line, and disappeared quickly to the south.
"Well, I don't know about you fellows," said Birch, "but I'm getting very sleepy. Most of
my sap has gone back down to my roots already and they're starting to grow, so I think I'll
say good-night. You'll excuse me if I go to sleep?" she asked Peter.
"Of course," said Peter. "Goodnight."
The oak was already asleep, so Peter quietly walked away. He felt rather lonely, and he
wished Uncle Peppercorn would come and talk to him, but Uncle Peppercorn didn't show up.
By this time Peter knew that the little man only came to answer questions, so he tried to think
of a really difficult question to make him come, but he couldn't think of one. Then he began
looking around to see what he could find out for himself. Suddenly he thought of something.
The geese! What were they doing, going south?
"Uncle Peppercorn!" he called. "Oh, Uncle Peppercorn!"

"Don't make such a deafening noise!" said Uncle Peppercorn. "I can't hear myself think.
What do you want to know?"
Uncle Peppercorn was perched on Peter's shoulder, with his fingers in his ears.
"The geese, Uncle Peppercorn. How do they know where they're going?"
"That's a good question," said Uncle Peppercorn. "How does your blood know where it's
going in you?"
"In me?" Peter was surprised. "What's that got to do with . . . "
"Answer my question!" said Uncle Peppercorn sternly.

"Well, there are veins and things."
"Exactly! just as there are veins and arteries in you, there are veins and arteries in the
earth and the air too. The geese just follow those streams of life. Easy when you know how."
"Oh!" Peter thought for a moment. "You mean they go and come back along a road you
can't see?"
"That's right."
"Oh!" cried Peter. "Isn't that what the earth is doing when it goes round the sun?"
"Got it the first time!" Uncle Peppercorn looked pleased and he beamed at Peter.
"Peter, my boy, you're doing ALL RIGHT!"
Then he vanished, leaving Peter with a warm feeling in his heart.
I'm Going to Take You Back Now

The ground was hard and it was getting colder. Peter knew that the Big Year was almost
over.
"Round the sun! Round the sun!" he was thinking to himself. "Wonder what the sun
goes round?"
"Peter!" said the voice of Uncle Peppercorn.
Peter looked around and saw the little man leaning on a small mushroom.
"You've got to go home now," said Uncle Peppercorn.
"Oh, Uncle Peppercorn," Peter almost cried, "I haven't found out half the things I want
to yet." Then he remembered he had been away a whole year. He wondered if his mother and
father would be very worried. Funny how he had forgotten all about them for a whole year!
"Don't worry," said Uncle Peppercorn. "They don't know you've been away."
"But a whole year!" exclaimed Peter.
"That's what you think," said Uncle Peppercorn.
Suddenly he jumped up on Peter's foot and quickly scrambled up to his shoulder.
"Hang on tight!" he shouted, and they were suddenly off, away into the blue sky.
They landed as before on the big beautiful star that Peter remembered.
"The beginning and the end," said Uncle Peppercorn. "Always the same, you know."
Peter didn't quite understand.
"Why do we have to come here?" he asked.

"Because you have to see for yourself," said Uncle Peppercorn. "Now, where is the
earth?"
"The third speck from the little sun to the left of the big one.
"Quite right! Can you see whereabouts it is on the track?"
"The same place as last time," said Peter.
"What does that mean?" asked Uncle Peppercorn in his sternest voice.
"Well, doesn't it mean that it has been once round the sun and come back?" said Peter.
"Peter, said Uncle Peppercorn, patting Peter's neck - it felt like a kiss from a firefly,
thought Peter - "Peter, you are a credit to me. I'm going to take you back now. just remember
this. If you always love the earth and everything on it, as you do now, you'll continue to have
the Big Year all your life. And you must never be afraid of anything, because INSIDE you
are the real Peter, and nothing can ever hurt YOU."
Uncle Peppercorn gave Peter's ear a friendly tug. Then he shouted:
"Come on!"
They raced through the heavens with the thousand flashing diamond-stars. Peter felt as if
he were a star too, shooting along a great road that nobody could see, but that he knew about
somehow.
Suddenly he found himself in his little white bed and felt himself just waking up. His
eyes opened slowly. It was his own room. Nothing was changed. His rollerskates lay in the
corner where he had left them last night. The wildflowers on the dresser weren't even faded.
"Why!" Peter cried, sitting up, "it was only a dream after all!"
But was it only a dream? For years later Peter could still hear the voices of nature. And
sometimes, when he listened very carefully, he could understand.
the end

January Index
Verses
Stories
The Mouse and the Douglas Fir Cone – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Nature walk to find the “mouse tail”
Include a pine cone and a recording of your child telling this story in a “sick basket” or
some version of that.
Lost in the Desert – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Sidewalk Chalk – because gypsum is found in some deserts
The Caravan – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Sidewalk Chalk – because gypsum is found in some deserts
A Change of Scenery – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Watercolor or Play
What Broke the China Pitcher (Science Story) – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Soap Balls (The pitcher was used for cleaning one’s face a long time ago)
The Snowman – PS
Suggested Crafts:
Snow Science
The Travels of a Fox – PS
Suggested Crafts:
Watercolor or Play
The Gourd and the Pine Tree – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Spool Knitting Basics
The knitting is like the vine…
The Snowflake and the Leaf – PS
Suggested Crafts:
Snow Science
The Fairies New Year’s Gift – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Soap Balls

The Three Billy Goats Gruff – PS
Suggested Crafts:
Sick Basket
Sometimes we change the story to a child wanting to get to the other side or the goats are
delivering a basket – sort of like a cross between Red Riding Hood and The Three Billy
Goats.
Peter Rabbit Learns Something About Spooky – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Watercolor or Play
Nature walk to find rabbits or rabbit prints and signs of owls. Call your local nature center
for sites in your area.
Peter Rabbit in the Winter – PS/KG
Suggested Crafts:
Watercolor or Play
Nature walk to find rabbits or rabbit prints and signs of owls. Call your local nature center
for sites in your area.
Crafts & Lessons

Flower Rainbow Placemat (Handicraft)
Suggested Stories:
Craft & Story Included
Soap Balls
Suggested Stories:
The Fairies New Year’s Gift
What Broke the China Pitcher
Ten Minute Doll
Suggested Stories:
Any or None
Sidewalk Chalk
Suggested Stories:
Lost in the Desert
The Caravan
Spool Knitting Basics
Suggested Stories:
The Gourd and the Pine Tree
Toy Parachute
Suggested Stories:
Any or None
Snow Science
Suggested Stories:
The Snowman
The Snowflake and the Leaf
Sick Basket
Suggested Stories:
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Lessons
Watercolor Story of the Month – PS
Math:
(See the math verses in the verses for this age and this month. Children of this age learn math
through verse and experience. Note that circle time is a very important time of day for this
age. Sometimes I spend thirty minutes or more with the circle time for this age as many of
their lessons are learned during this time. You can also do two circles each day if you want.)
Language:
(See language related verses in the verses for this age and this month. Children of this age
learn language through verse.)
Science:
(See science & nature stories for this month. Children of this age learn science through
communing with nature and through stories about nature.)
January Verses
There are MP3s for these verses so you can HEAR the tune and the additional
languages for the non-English verses.
Piri Peini Pyorii

Round and round the circle, Children
Round the circle fingers pointing
So, so, so, shoes are tapping, ko, ko, ko
Round and round the circle, Children

Round the circle hands are saying,
Lip, lap, lap, heels are clicking tap tap tap
Piiri pieni pyori lapset
Siina hyori sormet sanoo

So, so, so, kengan kannat ko, ko, ko.
Animal Poem
I’m a little kitty
I love to tippy toe
Won’t you do it with me?
Ready now – let’s go!
I’m a little rabbit

I love to hop, hop, hop.
Come on and do it with me.
It’s fun we’ll never stop.
I’m a great big elephant

I take steps so slow
I’d love to have you join me
Ready now? Let’s go.
I’m a little dog.

I love to run and run and run.
If you would do it with me,
We could have such fun!
Arrabella Miller
Sing to Twinkle Twinkle Tune
Little Arabella Miller found a woolly caterpillar
First it crawled upon her mother, then upon her baby brother
All said “Arabella Miller take away that caterpillar!”
Hey Diddle Diddle

Hey diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed
To see such fun,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
5 Little Ducks
5 little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother duck said “Quack Quack Quack”
But only 4 little ducks came back.
4 little ducks…and on and on until…
One little duck went out one day…

But none of the 5 little ducks came back.
Sad mother duck went out one day

Mother duck said “Quack Quack Quack…”
And all of the 5 little ducks came back.

I Had a Rooster
I had a rooster and the rooster pleased me
I fed my rooster on a green berry tree.
The little rooster went “cock-a-doodle-do, dee doodle-dee do (3x)”
I had a cat and the cat pleased me.

I fed my cat from the green berry tree
The little cat went meow…
The little rooster went cockadoodle doo…
Pig: oink
Cow: moo
Baby: Goo Goo Goo
Round the Garden

Round and round the garden
Goes the little mouse
Up, up, up he creeps.
Up into his house.
(child holds up hand. Creep the mouse around their hand then up their armpits).
Chinese Hello Song

(to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell")
Let's wave and say "Ni hao (nee how),"Let's wave and say "Ni hao."Let's say "hello" to all
our friends,Let's wave and say "ni hao."
Various Instruments on “Nee How”
Let’s wave and say, ding dong, boom boom, etc…
Little Icicles
We are little icicles
Melting in the sun.
Can you see our tiny teardrops
Falling one by one?
January
January sparkles.
January's bold.
January huffs and puffs.
January's cold.

New Year
January Now is here –
A fine new start
For a whole new year.
The snow comes down
In the dark of night.
When we awake
The world is white.
In January
When there's snow,
We get our sleds
And away we go.
January Stories
The Mouse and the Douglas Fir Cone
Long, long ago there lived a mouse in the forest.
The mouse was fearful all day and all night, for the sly fox always tried to catch him and eat
up him.
The mouse was very clever and was able to hide from the fox for
a long, long time. But one day, he let his attention wander, and before he knew it, the fox was
right there!
The mouse was very scared and ran

off as fast as he could. But he knew the fox was faster, so frantically he searched for a place
to hide.
He spied a cone that he thought was big enough to hide him, so he scurried inside. Well, he
was hidden well enough that the fox couldn't find him, but really the cone was too small.
And to this day, you can see the hind legs and the tail of the
mouse sticking out from the Douglas-fir cone, where he is STILL hiding from the fox!
Lost in the Desert

The rock dropped to the bottom of the well, and landed with a splash when it hit the water.
Rabin, a beautiful little girl with dark brown eyes and hair as dark as the midnight sky,
laughed when she saw the water geyser up, then watched silently as the rock slowly sank to
the stone lined bottom. She raised her eyes and looked around on the ground for another
pebble. Seeing no other, Rabin skipped off towards the tent, where she lived. As she
approached it she saw that the goatskin walls had been raised to let the air circulate
throughout. Summer in the Egyptian desert could be unbearably hot and what breezes came

along were precious and to be taken advantage of. Rabin’s tent was one of several in a small
village in the arid desert, southwest of Cairo. Not many people ever came to the village to
visit, but now and then a camel train would pass through and stop to fill their canteens with
fresh water from the well or nearby pond. There weren’t many trees about nor much other
vegetation, but an acacia tree sprouted up now and then near the small pond that was formed
by springs bubbling forth from the parched earth.
Surrounding the village were several dirt paths. Rabin loved to walk down them. One led to
the pond, another led to some of the other villager’s tents and one led to where the small
black and brown goats grazed. Other paths just seemed to wander off into nowhere.
Sometimes she’d ask her friends, Karim and Yasmine, to come and play with her. One day,
as they were walking along one of the sandy trails, they came to an area where it was thick
with acacia trees. Rabin saw something moving off the side of the path. She looked carefully
and saw that it was a furry rabbit. It was brown with gray patches. It looked thin and hungry.
She wanted to follow it but her mother had told her never to leave the path; it was dangerous.
She’d warned Rabin that she might get hurt or lost and sometimes there were wild animals
lingering about. But Rabin wanted to catch that rabbit.
Suddenly she ran off the trail, following the rabbit through the rocks that jutted out of the
sandy soil. Karim and Yasmine tried to call her back, but she wouldn’t listen. The rabbit
hopped over a dead tree, so Rabin followed it. It ran up a small hill, so did Rabin. It leapt
through a wide wadi, as did Rabin. It was when the rabbit jumped into some thorny bushes
that Rabin lost sight of it.
She sat down in the shade of a tree. It felt good to rest. She looked around at the unfamiliar
surroundings. In the tree above her hung a rather large beehive. As Rabin sat there, unaware
of the hive, she noticed a lot of bees gathering around her. They were buzzing back and forth.
She swooshed them away but more kept coming. Rabin didn’t like bees. She jumped up and
ran as fast as she could.
She ran and ran and ran and soon realized that she was lost. Nothing looked familiar to her.
Where were Karim and Yasmine? Why hadn’t she listened to what her mother had said? She
should have obeyed her. Now she was lost. She sat down on a rock and started to cry.
As she sobbed, she heard a hissing sound. It sounded like air gushing out of a full balloon.
She looked around at the ground; then she saw it. It was a cobra. It was coiled up and its
tongue was flickering in and out of its mouth. Its head was flat and wobbled back and forth as
if dancing to a snake charmer’s flute. Rabin jumped up on top of the rock and watched the
snake. It slithered about on the ground. It even went around the bottom of the rock she stood
on, but then, much to her relief, it slinked away. Now she really began to cry. She was very
frightened.
Making sure the cobra was nowhere to be found she hopped off the rock and started running
back the way she came. She soon arrived back at the wadi. She walked along its path that had
been made many years ago by spring rains flowing towards the Nile River. The water was
long gone and all that remained was the dried riverbed. She was walking along and saw
something move. Her heart leapt with joy as she thought it was the rabbit. Maybe, if she
followed it again, it would lead her back to Yasmine and Karim. She ran over to it and was
disappointed to see it was a small fox, reddish brown with a bushy tail. It scurried off into the
bushes when she came too close.
Feeling sad, she hung her head down and walked along. She noticed tracks in the wadi, odd-
looking tracks, like a crocodiles. She couldn’t see a crocodile! There must have been one here
when the river was flowing through it. But, not wanting to take a chance that there was still
one lingering nearby, she ran quickly down the wadi.
After what seemed like hours, Rabin felt tired, hungry and afraid. The sun was beginning to
set below the horizon. The sky glowed a beautiful orange and red color, but she didn’t want
to be alone in the dark. She sat down in the sand, too tired to move. She lay her head on her
hands and fell asleep.
She woke up a little while later to find the rabbit she’d been chasing, standing near her head.
Its little black nose was wet and rubbing against her cheek. Rabin stood up slowly. The rabbit
didn’t run away. She reached down to pet it and it moved a little further away. It wanted
Rabin to follow it.
She walked slowly and followed the rabbit back down the wadi, past the crocodile tracks,
past the place where she’d seen the fox, past the rock where the cobra had slithered and past
the tree filled with angry bees. She followed the hopping rabbit through the rocky soil. The
rabbit suddenly stopped. Rabin heard her name being called, "Rabin. Where are you?" It was
her father.
She called out, "I’m here. I’m here." Soon her father found her, picked her up in his arms and
hugged her tightly.
‘Where were you, Rabin? We’ve been worried about you. Yasmine and Karim told us you’d
wandered off the path. You know you aren’t supposed to do that," her father scolded.
"I know, Father. I am sorry that I disobeyed. I’ll never leave the path again," she apologized.
She turned and looked for the rabbit. Where did it go? She saw it running off into the acacia
trees. She smiled, took her father’s hand then walked back home.
Many More Stories are included here in the FULL VERSION – see index for the list of
those stories.
January Crafts
All the crafts in the index above are included here.

Lessons
Watercolor Story – Pre-School – January – One Color
The snow, in bitter cold,
Fell the night through;
Will we awake to see,
The garden blue?
Paint light blue falling from the sky – either as dots that fill up the ground or as brush strokes
coming down.
And still the bluish flakes

Go whirling by,
White feathers fluttering,
From a great sky.
Paint light blue swirling now…
When the painting is done, shine a bright light on it or look at it in the sun, doesn’t it look almost
white now?
But then the morning comes

And the night does go,
Beyond the frosted pane
White shines the snow!
Adpted from Vintage Poem by Ann Elliott
Intructions are in italics above.
Science – Is taught by nature walks, experience and verses. See verses

Math – Is taught in verses for this age. See verses.

February
Main Waldorf Holidays
Valentine’s Day
Shrove Monday (Mardi Gras/ Fat Tuesday)
Themes
Love
Animals (Chinese Calendar Theme)
Additional Holidays
Setsuban in Japan
Copernicus’ Birthday
President’s Day
Handiwork Lesson Blocks for this Month
Candles
Paper
Felt Basics
Mother’s Craft of the Month
Felt Animals
The continuation of this 423-page E-book includes verses, Mp3s, 2 videos each month and a
bread of the month, stories, crafts and a watercolor story for each month. The pre-school
lessons do not include any alphabet lessons as they would in public schools. Many crafts come
with pictures from my own classroom. The “Waldorf Basics” E-book tells you how to use
these lesson plans and the “How to Print and Use E-books” file (5-pages long only) gives you
some money and time-saving tips on printing and using E-books.
The alphabet is not introduced until 1st grade in the Waldorf schools. However, if your child is
already reading or starting to read you can request supplemental lessons to complement either
the Pre-school or KG E-books. These supplementary lessons are free.


A SAMPLE Earth Schooling PreSchool

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Исходное описание:

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

A SAMPLE Earth Schooling PreSchool

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Waldorf School Online

Pre-School Years SAMPLE Lesson Plans

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 1

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 2

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 3

Waldorf Yearly Lesson Plan Guide

Basic Waldorf Teacher Resources

Videos & MP3

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 4

You can see these verses being sung at: XXXX

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 5

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 6

Teacher Guide for January

About World Calendars

Chinese New Years

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 7

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 8

Once Round the Sun

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 9

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 10

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 11

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 12

Build a Snowman, Peter

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 13

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 14

Grrmph! Peter, Grrr!

"Oh!" said Peter, rubbing his eyes, "what time is it?"

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 15

I Have to be Somewhere Else Soon

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 16

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 17

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 18

It All Has to be Washed

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 19

At last he sat down on the beach, quite tired, and he found

It All Comes from the Root, You Know

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 20

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 21

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 22

I'm Getting Very Sleepy

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 23

hum! It's going to feel good to go to sleep." Suddenly he shouted loudly:

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 24

"Answer my question!" said Uncle Peppercorn sternly.

I'm Going to Take You Back Now

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 25

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 26

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 27

Crafts & Lessons

Piri Peini Pyorii

Round and round the circle, Children

Piiri pieni pyori lapset

Siina hyori sormet sanoo

I’m a little rabbit

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 29

I’m a great big elephant

I’m a little dog.

Hey Diddle Diddle

4 little ducks…and on and on until…

One little duck went out one day…

Sad mother duck went out one day

EarthSchooling for the Pre-School Years Page 30

I had a cat and the cat pleased me.