Excited to share with you my new E book  – Orange Moon – Grandmother Tree

BRINGING THE MAGIC OF CHILDREN AND NATURE TOGETHER

BUY E-BOOK NOW ONLY $4.99 Full colour illustrated childrens book with nature crafts (37 pages)

Reviews:

“Marghanita Hughes has given us a small treasure trove of wisdom, magic and practicality within the colourful pages of “Orange Moon ~ Grandmother Tree”. Whether a child, parent, or simply forever young-at-heart, you cannot help but be captivated by the delightful “Orange Moon” as she steps barefoot into another day of adventure in nature. Within the words and behind Marghanita’s glorious drawings and photographs, there lies tender heart-filled messages for the children whose hands will be holding this book. As well, there is also a delicious array of nature activities that not only teach, but will absolutely inspire all those who try them ~ young and old. Marghanita’s passion to bring the magic of nature and children together has more then succeeded with this charming and motivating little book.” -Wendalynn Jones

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Rich hues of orange-red with a hint of umber contrast with brilliant wildflowers of summer, to set the stage for a vibrant story that warmed my heart and imagination!
Gently Orange Moon models how to open our hearts warmly with love to discover more about nature, our relationships and our selves.

I noticed myself pausing to gaze at the beautiful pictures. As I reflected, they reminded me of my own childhood innocence spent in natural spaces relaxing and playing during timeless days.

I realized the power of these beautiful pictures can invite a young child also to pause and gaze at the nature surrounding Orange Moon. The pictures can invite the readers to talk and warmly open our own hearts to share just like Orange Moon.

This story eloquently expresses the healing potential of seeking out nature and noticing how infinitely connected we all are to each other and everything on our world.

This book is a treasure, a keeper, and one that will enrich a very young child as a picture book and last right through the school age years!

The story can enrich our adult lives too, as Orange Moon encourages all of us to open our hearts, to notice the beauty and healing potential within nature! There is a lifetime of wisdom to discover within this story, to grow with your child and within us adults too.

Read full review from Sherry Robinson @ NOTICE QUIET NATURE

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Within the pages of the newest book by Marghanita Hughes, “Orange Moon and The Grandmother Tree,” you will find a wonderful and touching story, accompanied by gorgeous illustrations and artistry. The words in the book almost dance off the page, creating beautiful images in the minds of the reader. The book also comes with an important lesson from a child to an adult, as Ellouise warms the heart of a stranger she meets.  As a Kindergarten teacher I am constantly reminded by my students that they have many amazing lessons to teach me, and this book demonstrates that point.  Our youngest members of society are often the most overlooked, however they are the ones with the greatest lessons of all. This book stirred up childhood memories of my own, of how I, like Orange Moon, loved nothing more than to be free in the outdoors without a care in the world. This story would be perfect for any parent, educator, or nature lover and is complete with wonderful ideas to help incorporate a love and passion for nature into your world through art, craft, and nature ideas. As a teacher who fills her students’ days with opportunities to explore and love nature and the outdoors, I would love to share the journey and magic of Orange Moon with my students. Thank you for another great book and for continuing to share your love for nature and the outdoors with children and adults around the world!  -Lindsay Seto, Kindergarten Teacher, Aspenwood Elementary

LOVE CONQUERS ALL

I cannot express the excitement I feel inside when I think of all the beautiful people in the world sharing their love and compassion. Love makes the world a beautiful place. Orange Moon has been and continues to be a powerful and joy-filled journey in the making. My hope is that Orange Moon will warm your heart and inspire you to head outdoors and dance amongst the flowers.

Teaching our children about compassion is one of the most important things we can do for them and the future of humanity - Dalai Lama

GET YOUR COPY HERE ONLY $4.99

CLICK HERE to purchase an ORANGE MOON illustration.     www.orangemoontribe.com

8.5″ x 11″ Illustrated Prints $9.99 Beautiful illustration by Marghanita Hughes from the heart-warming picture book ” Orange Moon – Grandmother Tree” (Postage $2.99) Please allow 10 days for delivery, thank you.

THANK YOU to all who are sharing this beautiful journey and a special thank you to my wonderful editor, Michel Martin.

Each and every one of you makes heart sing and my spirit dance. We are one. Wishing you a magical week full of awe and wonder. All my love, Marghanita x

Last month, whilst back home in Scotland, I heard about a primary teacher from Peebles who was running forest school classes. I was intrigued how she was able to incorporate such classes into the school curriculum and wanted to learn more. Here is my short interview I had with the wonderful and inspiring Annie Edgar. (Later in the week, I was fortunate to visit the forest where Annie holds the classes. I took my niece and nephews with me. We had the most magical time and didn’t want to leave).

Our spirits soared as we wandered through the beautiful forest, each pathway gifting wonder and awe. We were graced with the presence of a deer. The sheer joy of seeing a deer in the wild is one of those magical moments you never forget as a child or an adult.

Interview with Annie Edgar  – LEARNING OUTDOORS

1. Why did you start up the “forest school”?
To introduce more outdoor learning, to provide a more balanced curriculum: social, emotional and physical development of a child.
My love for the outdoors and nature also played a big part in it, the importance in knowing, understanding and respecting the world that you live in, to encourage a responsible attitude towards the environment and sustainability for the future.

Once I started my training I started taking my class out. This was arranged through agreement with the head teacher and the course itself was well supported by the council that I work for.
No problems arranging with school or class, some difficulty in getting parent support to ensure adult:child ratio was met. Mainly due to FS (Forest School) sessions being through school time when most parents are at work. But managed to get help most weeks.
Intensity of course – over 20 essays, compiling health and safety handbook, observation reports and extensive reading on child development and emotional intelligence along with several full weekends of outdoor and first aid training made the course very demanding. On top of day to day school work and preparation I found this quite stressful at times. However, I have learned a huge amount from this course and the benefits are now paying off.

We tasted the most delicious wild Blackberries in the forest.

Also provides the children with a bank of experiences that they can use when back in school to help with their literacy and numeracy e.g. in writing they can describe a forest setting by thinking about what they have seen, heard, tasted, felt in FS. And in maths they have a greater awareness of size for estimating length, height etc.

“When Children and Nature Mix, Something Magical Happens” .

I have been running nature classes for the last three years here in Kelowna, BC and I must say I love teaching outdoors. I am really excited about the possibilities of outdoor learning. It is so encouraging to hear about inspiring individuals like Annie. Please do get in touch if you would like to share your ideas and plans for nature in and out of the classroom. I’d love to hear from you. Over the past few months I have visited many schools and spoken with both the teachers and the students. It is very clear the children LOVE to learn and play outdoors and listening to the teachers, they too, are interested in learning  about ways they can connect children with nature as part of their teaching. Here are a couple of my school visits in British Columbia : Bringing Nature Into the Classroom and Connecting School Children With Nature.

Join the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution – Changing the way children spend their time.

More great reading and Scottish resources : Outdoor Learning Practical Guidance for Scottish Teachers provided by one of my #playoutdoors buddies on Twitter Juliet Robertson.

Here in North America we have a  fabulous resource called: Children and Nature Network. Check out the Natural Teachers Network.

Wishing you all a beautiful week learning from nature, love and peace, Marghanita.

“Creativity,” says Ken Robinson, “is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”

Creativity involves putting your imagination to work.

Being Creative In  Nature – Trees and Leaves

The class collect foliage and fallen leaves to create paintings and collages.

Creativity flourishes in a natural environment.

During the nature class, we will ask the children to choose a tree.

By allowing them to choose their own tree, they feel an instant connection. They can feel the texture of the tree, listen to it’s leaves rustle in the wind and if they wrap their arms around the tree, they can even feel it’s energy.

They can explore what birds, insects and other creatures are present in and around the tree.

We were fortunate to have a very friendly squirrel visit every day of class, delighting all with his chatter and acrobatics.

These simple activities are great for all ages, in groups or working individually. It never ceases to amaze me how much I learn from the children when out in nature.

CREATIVITY is so important not just in a child’s life but as adults, we need to be feeding our creativity too. I am a huge fan of Ken Robinson and would recommend you read his fascinating books ” Out Of Our Minds” learning to be creative (New Edition) and “The Element“. Both books address the importance of creativity and offer an approach to understanding creativity in education and in business.

In an interview with Vancouver Sun, Ken was asked:

What three tips he would give teachers striving to adapt personalized learning? Robinson said they first need to realize they have more freedom in the classroom than they think. A curriculum sets a framework, but how they teach is up to them.

Secondly, they must be certain they are doing a job they love and should treat their art form seriously. “Take time to study techniques of teaching, look at other teachers, be prepared to have people come and look at you, and do what people in other fields do: be open to criticism and be open to learning and growing,” he stated.

His third tip was be prepared to learn from students. “Kids are often full of ideas that they’re willing to offer if you create the right culture in the room or the school to provide them. The history of education is peppered with wonderful, groundbreaking inspirational teachers who did all of those things. If they can do it, you can do it.” -  jsteffenhagen@vancouversun.com (You can read the complete article here).

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! Watch the video.

“The Element” Ken Robinson Watch the video.

Like Ken and many others, I believe we are all creatives, we are all born with ability to be great creatives if we are given the right encouragement, environment and opportunities.

Let’s Get Creative!!!!

It’s not all art and crafts. Unstructured play is a fundamental part of my nature camps. The children need time to experience free play, time to let their imaginations run wild in the little forest setting. This beautiful five year old wanted to fly, then all the other children followed suit. It was their game, their adventure, their flight of fantasy.

Let the children run wild in nature. Wishing you all a beautiful wild and wonderful summer in nature, love and peace, Marghanita.

LINDSAY LOVES TO CHASE SQUIRRELS.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of sharing time outdoors with a class from Peachland Elementary. I was visiting the school to help promote the “Let’s Go Outside Revolution”. Schools and teachers can play a big part in helping children connect with nature. Here are just a few of the topics we will cover for the video series.

• Bringing nature to the classroom.
• Green your schoolyard – start a vegetable garden.
• Create Nature Preschools and Kindergartens.
• Start up an Eco Club for 8yr olds and up.

The filming has already started and the schools we have visited so far have left me feeling full of hope and incredibly excited about the future for our children and the planet.

I’d like to share with you just a few of the children’s drawing of what they like to do outside.

LILLY LOVES TO GO BUG HUNTING.

APRIL LOVES TO PLAY AT THE LAKE.

LEYLAND LOVES TO GO CAMPING.

JASMINA LOVES TO PLAY IN HER YARD.

MAYA LOVES TO PLAY IN THE FOREST.

WHAT DOES YOUR CHILD LIKE TO DO OUTDOORS?

Send us your pictures and we’ll post them on the LETS GO OUTSIDE REVOLUTION GALLERY.

Join the Revolution-Be part of a better future: www.letsgooutsiderevolution.com

I was delighted when my beautiful friend and kindred spirit Anja Geelen agreed to write a post for the “Let’s Go Outside” Revolution.

The enchantment of childhood, finding your inner core of love.
Children have a natural love for all living things. This natural love seems to be lost during the years
to adulthood. Children are spending more time inside and less outside. The lack of time and space
to spend outside is having an effect on our children’s emotional well being.

According to Aristotle the highest form of love is that a man loves himself. Inside all of us we have
a core of love. For children, it is important to become aware of this as it contributes to their feeling
of healthy self-love and to know that they have love to give to others. Connecting with their own
inner core of love helps the child to develop their self-esteem and to relate peacefully to those
around them. Connecting with nature helps a child to find this inner love. Being in the natural
world cultivates stillness, a silence that brings knowledge within ourselves. The squirrel running up
and down the tree, the deer frozen in silence, the autumn leaves swirling through the sky, the sun
rays touching the face. These are authentic experiences in the natural world that are so vital for a
child to develop their inner love. Not only to love themselves, but also to give love and to receive
love. Love to live their life with all their heart.

Children are young and happy. They have an unlimited imagination and a strong belief that all
things are possible. They are full of love. When exposed to a love of the outdoors, they will want
more and see more love around them. The more time they spend in the outdoors, the more they will
find comfort. When in a time of stress, their unlimited imagination will connect them to the bird in
the tree and the bee on the flower. A feeling of peace and calmness will refresh them, enabling them
to tackle whatever comes their way.

It seems that in this day and age we have to teach our children to connect, admire nature, and to find
their inner core of love. Their natural sense of wonder for anything that is part of our beautiful
natural world is sadly diminishing at a fast rate. Many children today seem to spend little time
outside. If they are outside, it is seldom for the sake of daydreaming or just having fun for fun’s
sake. Finding quiet moments to imagine, question, dream, and to be alone with their own thoughts
are crucial for today’s hurried child.

Initiatives like The Let’s Go Outside Revolution empowers our children that they are the revolution,
and shows that there is hope. Hope for our children to connect with nature, hope for our children to
experience the awe and wonder of our beautiful world. Hope for love.

Outside is anywhere, any place. It can be your own backyard, the local park, or even the green
council strip across the road. No matter where you live, there is a green space near you. There is an
abundance of life right there, and if you are open to it, you will find the love and wisdom that comes
with it. The bee knows where to get the nectar, the bird knows where to find a worm, the caterpillar
knows when it is time to metamorphose and emerge as a butterfly. There is love and wisdom
wherever you look. Join the revolution and create time and space for your child to play, run, hop,
hide, jump, enjoy the moment, ponder and to connect with what is the most important in their life,
their own essence. Keep the enchantment of childhood alive. Let’s go outside!
- Anja

JOIN THE REVOLUTION on FACEBOOK!

Visit the Revolution website: www.letsgooutsiderevolution.com

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ANJA GEELEN has been a Montessori directress for several years before she opened her own Montessori preschool, Tawa Montessori Preschool, in Wellington, Aotearoa – New Zealand. In September 2009 Anja opened a new purpose build enviro Montessori preschool, Little Earth Montessori Kapiti, in Paraparaumu.

Visit Anja’’s beautiful blog Little Eyes on Nature

Native people have always recognized or imbued in animals certain human like traits, easily recognized by youth. Otters appear to be playful, and squirrels assertive. No one questions the strength of a bear, the extraordinary expressions of a frog, or the patience of a spider. (Thom Henley)

I got the idea to do the Empowerment Pebbles with my Little Humbugs nature class after reading a marvelous book “REDISCOVERY” by Thom Henley. A fascinating read and full of outdoor activities based on Native traditions.

Little Humbug Spirit Pebbles.

For my Little Humbugs nature class, I decided to get the children to search for 7 smooth pebbles, one for each day of the week.

Using simple drawings of animals listed below, paint or draw your designs on the rocks.

Once the child has drawn a design on each pebble, tell them the special gift that each of these animals bring to them and ask them to think about how they can use this gift in their own lives. Use animals that are native to your region and familiar to your child.

WOLF: Special Person – Just as the wolf howls its proud song to the moon, you too can recognize that you are a unique and special child. You are a lovable and wonderful child!

RAVEN: Curiosity – The raven is never bored, always curious, always exploring every corner of the world. So too can you awaken your sense of wonder – discover nature and its endless wonder.

SALMON: Sharing – just as the salmon shares its body with the bear, otter, eagle and human, so too can you learn to share your food, your feelings, your fears, your books and toys. Sharing is one of the most important traditions.

SPIDER: Patience – Spider spins her web and waits, and waits, and waits…Spider knows that her patience will be rewarded with a fly in her trap and a meal for her young. You too can learn the lesson of patience; all things will not come to you instantly.

BEAR: Strength – The powerful grizzly bear will bring you to the gift of strength-inner strength to help you through sad moments in your life. Like the mother grizzly bear who overturns logs to feed insects to her cubs, or to protect them from danger, you too can learn to be strong.

HUMMINGBIRD: Happiness – Hummingbird, this joyful little spirit, brings happiness into your life. All the sweetness in the nectar is yours. Remember to take time and smell the flowers and find joy in all you see and do.

DEER: Peacefulness – The gentle deer brings you the gift of a peaceful spirit. Deers are always aware, always alert, but at the same time they are peaceful and gentle. Take time to be quiet. Ask your parents to take you to a beautiful meadow of wildflowers or the hushed silence of the forest and you will know the gift of the deer.

The youngest in my class (6yrs) turned over each pebble after drawing her animal and wrote the meaning on the back of the pebble. I was very impressed by this action and all the other children followed suit.

How to use your spirit pebbles.

At the beginning of the week, get your child to close their eyes and randomly draw one pebble from the pouch. This will be their special power, or focus, for the day. By keeping that day’s pebble as a touch stone in their pockets, they will be reminded of their discipline throughout the day. At the end of the week all pebbles will have been drawn and are then returned to the pouch. Once a month your child could have a special day to reflect on being joyful, patient, generous etc.

Use recycled felt or a scrap of old material to make a pouch to store your pebbles.

The beauty of the journey of Empowerment play is that it brings the animals alive for the children in a way they’ll long remember.

This was one one of my favorite and most rewarding activities out of all the The Little Humbugs nature camp activities. I really do hope you make time to do this wonderful nature craft with your children. If you would like a copy of my Little Humbugs Spirit Pebbles worksheet, drop me an email:info@littlehumbugs.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Thom Henley for writing “Rediscovery“. It has been an inspiration and continued resource for my work. The Little Humbugs live very similar to how the Native American Indians used to live and I am thrilled to be able to incorporate a little of the Native American Indians traditional teachings in my work.

“Children need to be together in nature, so they can learn to respect, accept and understand each other better. Native American Indians have something important to teach about respect for the earth and all our relations that live here.” Erma Bearstops, Lakota Elder.

“As a parent, environmentalist, and a scientist I cannot conceive of a more important program than Rediscovery.” David Suzuki

The Day of the Honey Bee

I had the pleasure of joining councilor Michele Rule, Casey Hamilton and other members of the Central Okanagan Food Council Booth at the local Farmers Market this weekend.

Spot the Queen Bee … was a big hit thanks to Bob Chisholm and his “Brainy Bees“.

We were helping to raise awareness for our amazing little pollinators on a very special day…The Day of the Honey Bee.

Finding the Queen Bee was a big hit for both kids and adults and a great way to get kids interested in learning about the bees.

Councilor Michele Rule, her mother holding onto Chloe and marghanita (photograph by Casey Hamilton)

More information about the COFC can be found on their website: Central Okanagan Food Council

The Mayor’s Environmental Expo and Awards

The environmental event featured 35 exhibitors with interactive displays and activities for adults and kids. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to handle a California king snake. (I’m usually terrified of snakes but after holding this beauty I didn’t want to put it down).

Watch the short video

And visiting from the B.C. Wildlife Park in Kamloops, Danielle Rogers and other members of staff showed off a Barn Owl and a Turkey Vulture, a species which can be found in the Central Okanagan in the spring, summer and fall. (We will be dedicating a  Little Humbugs video episode to the wonderful Birds of Prey from BC Wildlife Park next month).

Compost Fun

Kids got to play in compost. Another wonderful example of engaging kids by allowing them  hands on experience….thanks to Dean Dack and his classic compost.

Congratulations to Glenmore Elementary for winning the Mayors Environmental Award for the Greenest school. What a fantastic example for other schools to follow suit.

The Little Humbugs were thrilled to be awarded 3rd Place in the most Innovative Business Initiative Award.

Christine Collins (a green advocate) who nominated me for the award.

It was an honor to be part of the Mayor’s Environmental Awards this weekend. It was  a fantastic event and the speakers were inspirational. It is incredibly exciting to see so many dedicated to helping the environment.

The future looks GREEN!!

Central Okanagan Food Council

Brainy Bees

BC Wildlife Centre

Watching the Sunrise is Magical!

Watching the sunrise, has a certain magical quality about it that awakens one’s primal instincts.

High up in their blossom hideaway,  Butterfly Girls and Dragonfly Boys gaze at the beautiful sunrise, casting warm rays of light on Mother Nature waking up.

Enjoy the video below…

So set the alarm clock, grab your kids and go outside…let Mother Nature captivate you with her beauty.

You can order a Butterfly Girl Fairy from the Little Humbugs website.

For Earth Day The Little Humbugs would like to help raise awareness for our pollinators.

The bees and the butterflies are having a really hard time right now and need our help.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we are facing an “impending pollination crisis,” in which both wild and managed pollinators are disappearing at alarming rates owing to habitat loss, pesticide poisoning, diseases and pests.

As a society, we need to recognize our debt to the “forgotten pollinators.” To successfully confront the impending pollinator crisis, we must work together.

Please help raise awareness of how important our pollinators are by getting kids involved. Below you will see samples of my worksheets, featuring the Little Humbugs. Great fun for kids to read and work on with parents, teachers, or friends.

Go Outside and Hunt for Bees and Butterflies

I believe if we instill a love of nature in a child, they will want to protect it.

Have fun learning about our pollinators

Make a Bumblebee Home

Learn what you can do to help

The full set of FREE worksheets and coloring sheets are available from The Little Humbugs website.P lease print out the sheets using recycled paper-for a happier, healthier planet-thanks! (Please note the PDF does take a while to download).

Thank you for helping to save our pollinators!

Thank you from all the Little Humbugs !

And don’t forget to join our Facebook Fan page so you don’t miss out on any future suprises!