In the branches of a tree, a little nest
Good mama bird will do her best
And sit and wait for her eggs to hatch
Then for her babies wriggly worms to catch
Til the day they fly from the nest,
Good mama bird will do her best

After our morning circle each Tuesday we sit on chairs in a circle and say the finger play above in preparation for beeswax modelling.  The children build 'warm nests just like mama bird' by rubbing their hands together, then cupping them to make a nest.  This can be challenging on cold mornings, but the vigorous movement of our circle helps, and sometimes putting on a warm jacket too.

The modelling wax comes in a rainbow of luminous colours and is made from beeswax and natural pigments, so has a lovely fragrance.  We offer a small ball of wax (about 1/8 th of a piece), and prewarm it over a hot water bottle.  Even pre-warmed it will rapidly harden and break apart when placed into cold hands, which can be very frustrating, so we ensure the children’s hands are warm.

The teacher then hands a piece to each child whilst we sing…

“I have built a pretty nest, look inside, look inside
Hungry birdies with their beaks, open wide, open wide
And the little birdies grow, day by day, day by day
Til they spread their wings and fly, far away, far away”

We then ‘see what our wax wants to become', while singing seasonal songs and nursery rhymes.  Once the models are completed they are placed on a round of wood.  We re-use the wax about three times before allowing the children to take their completed models home.  In the first part of the year, the children are given the same colour wax, but later in the year we offer several colours and allow the children to share little bits with each other.

As well as nourishing the senses through the experience of touch, warmth, smell and colour, beeswax modelling helps with the development of fine motor strength and allows for expression through a 3-D medium.

A task for Tuesdays is preparing the sourdough bread dough ready for Wednesday.  In the morning we begin the process by combining sourdough starter, warm water and flour, cover and leave it.  By the afternoon the mixture is bubbling and it’s time to add more flour, salt and a little olive oil.  Sometimes a child or two helps to mix and knead whilst everyone else is playing outside.

With warm wishes,

Denise