Prairie Primer – Beads

We’re near completion of book two in our Little House on the Prairie series.

Our history study through this book has focused on the Osage Indians.

The curriculum is full of great suggestions and good ideas for extra activities to enhance this unit of study.

Five years ago I would have felt the pressure to cram all of the suggestions into our days.

Currently that tug is no longer strong against me.

When I saw the suggestion of creating beads for Native American-esque necklaces and belts I almost skipped right over it.

But then I thought of my ones.

And how each one of them love to do bead work.

And how I love meticulous quiet work that can occupy young hands during reading sessions.

Beads then.

Bergen and I worked together to take the Primer’s suggestion to dye pasta for our beads.

You’re not going to believe this.

But, as a former teacher, current homeschooler and mom to six children, I have never dyed a macaroni noodle in my life.

It’s true.

So there we were – Bergen and I – dying ditalini pasta red, green and blue.

It was actually pretty lovely – all spread out in the sunshine to dry.

(And ridiculously easy.)

Just as you might imagine – Otto was the most thrilled to bead endlessly.

The kids all enjoyed stringing the beads and we pretended to be like Laura and Mary  –  surprised and impressed to find beautiful beads among the dirt tracks and campfire remains in the Osage village areas.