Make it Yourself: Wood Mandala Cooperative Game a Beautiful Lesson in Sharing and Creativity

The Mandala game:
A Waldorf, wood, cooperative beautiful game....
I bought this game three years ago by the dreaded "Hearthsong" which I no longer shop at but occasionally find things irresistable.  In this case-this game which can be played four different ways has been a continued source of creativity and inspiration.  You could make one yourself with a block set like this- you roll a colored die and start in the middle and each player takes turns rolling the dice and adding to a layer of the circle- at the end all of the children have worked together to make something amazing and unique.  Since my kids like a little competition they have now made a rule that who ever is the last to place on the board and still has the color of their pieces wins.....

If you like this blog check out my book "Beyond Natural Cures" or my music program for children the "AMHC" available at Beyondnaturalmedicine.com

Amazing Game for Growing Waldorfers.....

It has been coined the "Monopoly Killer"-and with good reason.  While on my way to get the game Monopoly for my older children for Christmas-I discovered this game.  I knew about Catan before but this new geography addition, which is filled with German facts, landscapes and ancient landmarks-is a complete package of learning and fun.  Because you trade things like wool, stone, wood, etc- makes it a perfect addition to a Waldorf lesson plan.  As Waldorfers use real materials like wood and wool to teach their children, their first exposure to the concept of money and buying is really preserved in a pre-step to monetary exchange in this game.  It is a long game, about 3 hours, however it is not critical to finish it all at once and I was really surprised when my seven year old joined in and instantly understood the concept of trading.  I am excited about the new Catan Geographies that will be coming out soon. This is a great intro to money-I am still planning on getting the game Monopoly or Life, sometime in the future. But until then, we cannot wait to play Catan-again and again!

If you like this blog check out my website beyondnaturalmedicine.com, my music program for children the AMHC or my book "Beyond Natural Cures."