We began our session today by discussing how elder has been used for medicinal purposes through the ages. Tonics and creams made from the berries or flowers of the elder bush have been used to treat a wide range of illnesses including hayfever, colds, flu, sore throats and chickenpox. We also talked about the precautions that need to be taken when handling potentially toxic materials. The unripe berries, leaves and bark can cause stomach upsets if consumed. We compared samples of elder and willow and shared our thoughts about their different properties. NK said that the willow smelled like apple when it was cut. SS said that the inside of the elder felt soft and spongy. The Anglo Saxon name for elder is 'aeld' which means fire. As the centre of the stem is spongy, it can easily be pushed out to create a hollow tube. These hollowed out branches were used like bellows to blow air into the fire to help it ignite.
Using secateurs, the children cut pieces of elder stem to make beads. They experimented with different thicknesses of stem and stripping the bark or leaving it intact. The pith was pushed out of the centre of the stem using large needles or bradawls.
NK's Mum and Dad joined us this afternoon for Forest School. Her Dad made her a pretty bracelet from some beaded material and her Mum helped her to thread an elder bead necklace.
We shared our thoughts on how else the hollowed out branches could be used. NK told us that her Dad used to use similar branches to make whistles from when he lived in Pakistan. SS suggested that we could use the branches to make pea shooters.
Perhaps this could be an activity for next week?
No comments:
Post a Comment