HES FES 2014

There are loads of fantastic camping things to do as a Home Educator with other families, but HES FES is the one we have been to 3 years running.  A number of other local Home Educators have been going there for many years.  It is full of workshops and activities for children and adults ranging from Copper beating, to hula hoop making and circus skills.  I also run a Zumba class there.  It is a whole week, so a real holiday for us.  We manage to go together as a family as it is during the school holidays, and my husband is a school teacher.

This year was the first year our children decided to take part in the cabaret.  I was so proud of them as they opened the show.  They had both practised a lot in the run up to HESFES and it was the thing that they were most excited about.

Hesfes 2013

We went to HesFes last week and had a wonderful time.  It is a home educating festival,  which lasts a week,  and currently runs the first week in summer school holidays in a lovely place in suffolk.  A load of brilliant sheffield folk were camped together,  but we like electric hook up with our camp,  since it is a whole week long!  We were there last year too.  Both times there has been loads of sun,  but this time also lots of rain too! 

Things we did whilst we were there:

I taught Zumba, which was totally awesome and sooo much fun.  Felt so alive doing it.

Autumn and I went in the Bee Keepers tent and learned about the honey bee, key facts we learned were:

• Honey is made by bees drinking nectar, and letting it go into their honey tummy where it gets partially processed, and then spit it out into a cell.  Another bee would then suck this up process it and spit it out again.  This is then repeated until it becomes processed enough, then it is honey. 
• Queen bee lives a long time, and is slightly larger than all the other bees
• About 60 000 bees live in an average hive at its height, then in winter it goes down to about 10 000 when they die off.
• The worker bees live in a different part of the hive and consist of female bees.
• Drone bees service the queen bee to make eggs.

Wire sculpture - Evan designed, Pat made a guitar

Paper rolling & then making of objects - Evan made a sword.

Games makiing

Flat felting - Evan made a heart on a flat piece of felt for my birthday

Pat made a Tunip headpiece out of fabric

Visited the beach and spoke to fishermen with their catch who let us hold and stroke the blue tailed lobster they had caught - it was heavy!

Watched the children's Caberet - Autumn is interested in doing her "Crazy Dancing" on stage next year.
Visited the Owl Sanctuary - fell in love with the red squirrels.
Bought a car
Made a friend - Shakid
Did a little Bellydancing
Did a little Kundalini Yoga - not really my cup of tea, but definitely an interesting experience