Modeling Beeswax

Now, if there was only a Waldorf beeswax modeling curriculum! (There's Arthur Auer's book, of course, but he only gives a few indications for grade 1. There's a lovely book on clay modeling but now that I have a second student in my classroom with a broken arm, we definitely can't go anywhere near water. So that will have to wait. Live Education gives only the barest of instructions on beeswax modeling, in their Kindergarten curriculum -- click on the link to see a free sample lesson.)

So what to do?

It's off to the Internet, of course!

I found a blog post from a mom who wrote about the first time they had ever used modeling beeswax in her home. She warmed the wax in tins that floated in hot water, instead of using hands. That may be a nice modification for special needs students, if you have someone without a lot of strength but who still wants to participate and explore the material. In her post, this woman wrote about mushrooms, which I think we will do. We can add them to our Nature table, which already has Autumn silks, a few little Autumn figures, a wooden carved bear heading into his cave, and some ceramic mushrooms.

My students like it best when I read them a story while they are warming the beeswax up in their hands (about 10 minutes) so I think I will choose Elsa Beskow's Children of the Forest.