Lights of Winter

LESSON 2

Children create candles and trinkets for their advent spiral.

Optional:

  • Marbles

  • Colorful rocks or gems

  • Orange peels

  • Candles for rolling

  • Brass candle holders

  • Beeswax for melting

  • Walnut shells or acorn tops

  • Candle wicks

  • Felt balls for counting

Materials

  • Gather materials

Preparations

  • Guide learners in the cleaning and drying of acorn tops or walnut shells in preparation for the candle-making activity.

  • Oversee the cutting of wicks to the desired length, ensuring precision and fine motor skill development.

  • Encourage children to arrange acorn tops or walnut shells in preparation for beeswax pouring.

  • Support children in the careful insertion of wicks into solidifying beeswax, promoting patience and attention to detail in the final steps of candle creation.

  • Support children as they practice counting skills and incorporating them into the spiral.

Objectives for Teachers

  • Children practice fine motor skills by cutting wicks and arranging acorn tops or walnut shells.

  • Children observe and learn about the transformation of beeswax from solid to liquid, developing an understanding of basic science concepts.

  • Children practice patience and precision by waiting for the beeswax to cool and then carefully inserting wicks into each candle.

  • Children engage in sensory exploration by adding evergreens to the salt dough spiral, observing textures and scents.

  • Children develop counting skills and coordination by creating sun-shaped orange peel counters.

Objectives for Children

Collect and Connect

  • Practice saying the poem with the actions you came up with.

November Comes, and November Goes

November comes,

And November goes.

With the last red berries,

And the first white snows.

With night coming early,

And dawn coming late,

And ice in the bucket,

And frost by the gate.

The fires burn,

And the Kettles sing,

And earth sinks to rest,

Until next spring.

-Elizabeth Coatsworth

Activity Flow

  1. Start this activity by revisiting the story "Lights of Winter," from the previous session. Ask your child to recall the many ways people celebrate winter by engaging in a picture walk, examining images from each page to spark their memory. Check in on the salt dough spiral you crafted a couple days earlier to see if it has hardened. Then, tell your child that today's focus is on crafting candles and trinkets, along with adding greenery to adorn the spiral. Throughout the month, introduce a new trinket or candle daily, building anticipation for your celebration. Finally, on the final day, light the candles to mark the festive occasion.

  2. There are many ways to adorn your advent spiral, so feel free to take creative freedom during the process. To offer inspiration, here's what we did with ours:

Acorn or walnut candles:

  1. Gather all the materials listed above. Clean and dry the acorn tops or walnut shells. Cut the wick to the desired length, leaving a few extra inches for adjustments.

  2. Using a double boiler or a microwave-safe bowl, melt the beeswax until it becomes a liquid. If desired, add a few drops of essential oil for fragrance.

  3. Work with your child to arrange the acorn tops or walnut shells on a flat, heat-resistant surface. If needed, stabilize them by placing a small amount of melted beeswax at the base. We used our salt dough spiral as support.

  4. Pour the melted beeswax into each acorn top or walnut shell. This should be done by an adult. Allow the wax to cool until it starts to solidify, then carefully insert the wick into the center of each acorn top or the base of the walnut shell.

  5. Your beeswax candles in acorn tops or walnut shells are now ready.

  1. Another beautiful element you can add to your salt dough spiral is collected or purchased evergreens. Place the evergreens around and underneath it to enhance the natural look and also add a pleasant fragrance to your display. We love pine, cedar, or fir sprigs for a charming bed of greenery. Experiment with different types for a blend of textures and shades.

Evergreens:

  1. Choose ripe oranges with a vibrant and firm peel. This ensures the peel is easier to work with and yields a more visually appealing result.

  2. Give the oranges a gentle wash under running water to remove any dirt or residues. Pat them dry with paper towels or a clean cloth.

  3. Peel the oranges carefully, then shape them into a sun using a knife or scissors. This part should be done by an adult or older children. You might also consider using a small cookie cutter or stencil.

  4. Incorporate your orange peel suns as counters into the spiral. They symbolize a reminder of the sun's return after the solstice.

Sun shaped orange peels for counting: