Hot wax! Hot wax! Hot wax!
It was time to make good choices and listen carefully, so we would not get burned while we were making candles.We were bursting with excitement as Mrs Adams was checking the role. Once the board will filled in we could head off up to the Picton Community Hall, next to the Creche.
Mr McCoy was waiting for us when we got there. We had met Mr McCoy once before when he taught us to make bread. He is from Bradshaw Park and he is helping us learn about our topic this term - Our Place in History.
We learned that when people first came to New Zealand there was no electricity so they had no lights. Instead they had candles. They were made from animal fat (which was very smelly) or beeswax (which smelled much nicer). Back then there were no candle making factories so people made the candles in their home. If they didn't have very much money they would only have one candle per night for the whole house. It usually went anywhere the Mum went, because she is always the one doing the work. We learned about the difference between dipping and casting candles.
Then we got to make our own dipped candle.
It was great fun, and we all were very careful and made good decisions. That's why no-one got burned and we all came home with lovely colourful candles which we made with our own hands.
