was at the Ben Franklin a few towns away and found tons of wool blend felt in luscious colors. Definitely a difference. They had wool roving and needle felting supplies too. Yippee! And great wooden tray for 75% off---one step closer to no plastic (though it definitely has its place is my messy art room)

I got my Nature Corner set up at school too and the kids just naturally gravitated to it. We're starting a spring drawing project the middle of next week and I can't wait to give them all the goodies I've been collecting (on my new wooden trays of course) to play with before they draw.

thanks for letting me babble--I need to share with folks that get the importance of what I'm trying to do.

Awesome!! I wish we had a BF around here. I don't think there are any in my state or even in the neighboring states. I know I have seen them while driving down to Florida, but no where up here.

Your kiddos are super lucky to have such a great teacher :) What age range do you teach? They are going to love all of your swap items :cuc:

I miss Ben's. Used to go there every weekend when I lived in VA! Would love to just walk into a store and purchase the felting supplies and such that I needed.

You and the kidlets will love these swaps. They just get better and better with each one. SO many talented mamas here:)

thanks for the good thoughts mamas! I teach the entire elementart school, preschool through 5th grade. Going to focus my Waldorf trials on the PK-1st graders for now, though I suspect that the older ones would really like to play too. They usually go nuts on those right before a big holiday days when I give up on teaching and give them blocks and play-dough and such. We really don't let kids be kids too much in the public schools these days, at least not in VA. Sigh.

btw, anybody else here in VA? esp in rural western VA?