Clara's Laura Ingalls Wilder Day

The day finally came on Tuesday that Clara had been looking forward to since the Laura Day at Shake Rag in August.  It was a perfect day of friends and pioneer fun!

Making Rag Dolls

making dumplings for the Jackrabbit stew

eating the stew!

Making animal books and eating apples

Creating a space for play with the rag dolls and covered wagons and Lincoln Logs from the day

the rag dolls created by Clara

Clara in the nightcap I made for her

the covered wagon

a willow bough broom

Our pioneer unit seems to be complete!  We have read books about Laura Ingalls Wilder and others during the pioneer days, mapped out Laura's houses on our map, watched the Pioneer Life for Children series, toured the pioneer-era spring houses at Gov Dodge State Park, attended the Old Threshers Reunion (where we experienced weaving, spinning, asking questions about an old log house, watched a saloon show and a train robbery!, etc.), attended the Laura Ingalls Wilder Day at Shake Rag (where Clara milked a goat, churned butter, made home-made ice cream, made a candle, weaved, watched a blacksmith, played pioneer games, made rag dolls, etc.), made bonnets, made a nightcap, put together pioneer outfits, designed and addressed invites for our Laura Day, learned pioneer songs, made tanagrams, did everything in the pictures above (made Jackrabbit Stew and Dumplings, willow bough brooms, animal books, rag dolls, built log homes, made a covered wagon), and probably a lot more that I have already forgotten unfortunately.  What a fun unit!

And now we seem to be moving on to important figures in our history (mainly women) and math, reading, going to see the Rockettes, getting in character for the play, and taking care of the chickens (learning about what animal may have gotten into the chicken tractor by how the remains look the next morning...and how to protect our chicks better for the future!)...and much much more!  The fun never ends!