Desert Rose Playgroup News

Dear lovely playgroup families, 

What a delightful term we have had! We are certainly feeling the winter chill in the air and its always such a joy to share a warm cuppa and toasty buns with you all on during our playgroup mornings. Our playgroup term is almost drawing to an end and we have begun our preparing for our little winter festival by making freshly churned butter and crafting lanterns. 

At The Alice Springs Steiner School the Winter Solstice (June 21st) is a special time of celebration and ritual. Children across the school make homemade lanterns and gather together as a community to light them and sing under the magical central Australian night’s sky. 

In Steiner Education we work closely with the seasons and always endeavour to bring children a sense of connection to the earth and changing world around us. 

At playgroup we like to acknowledge this special time of year by singing our special lantern songs, crafting our glass jar lanterns and sharing the delicious butter our little hands have helped to churn. 

While an evening celebration may be too late or many of our little ones, perhaps on the night of the solstice you might like to light your lantern with your child and share a sweet verse to acknowledge its simple message of warmth and hope in the dark.

“The sunlight fast is dwindling,

My little lamp needs kindling.

Its beam shines far in darkest night,

Dear lantern guard me with your light.”

A big thank you to Caitlin and Linnea for covering the Thursday and Friday playgroups while Jemima has been away. 

With warmth and light, 

Jemima, Linnea and Caitlin