Do you find you are too busy to see your very best crafty friends each week or month? Do you miss the shared cups of tea, steaming brewed coffees and freshly baked raspberry apple tarts that accompany your wild and deep conversations? Do you lack motivation to finish your crafty projects on your own? Are  read more …

Winter is a time of being rooted, like a giant tree. I can’t think of a better material to use than sticks from trees who are sleeping and have left their bounty lying on the forest floor. I made these stick picture frames with my friends many years ago. Recently, as I pondered what to  read more …

I made these one winter day when it was just too cold to go out, and the dreary dark days seemed never ending. They are simple, simple enough for a child to help with and use very few items to create. What I love about them is the movement. The weight of the bead on  read more …

I am the mom of three boys, each two years apart (almost). We are an outdoorsy family. We live in suburbia, and since we don’t have a large wild space directly connected to our home, we go in search of it. From the time I was able to walk after giving birth to our first  read more …

Recently I had the opportunity to fly with both of my young children for the very first time. We’ve traveled many times together, but it has always seemed more practical to take road trips, for one reason or another. I’d grown accustomed to the freedom of packing a big crate (or two) of toys and  read more …

I shouldn’t have been surprised when my 22-month-old son Nathan started collecting colorful leaves, acorns, sticks, walnuts, rocks and more from our daily walks outside. After all, I do it too! My family loves and appreciates nature, and we all love bringing nature back inside with us. It’s fun to watch Nathan select these little  read more …

When the elements force our little tribe indoors and the days grow increasingly cold and dark, I find that the best way to beat the winter doldrums and warm up things up is with some kind beer (adults only, of course!) and an impromptu family jam session. I think my wife was contemplating all of  read more …

::::::::::: David and Lisabeth will be bringing a story to life each season here at Rhythm of the Home. Their Winter story featuring Jack and the Snowman, can be heard here. If you would like to follow along with the other stories in the series, please see the links below. Their autumn story featuring Martin and  read more …

  Here at Rhythm of the Home, we know how important reading is to you and your family. Children are natural lovers of stories, and sharing seasonal books and poems with them can create traditions that can be passed down for generations. A few of our readers recently shared their favorite winter reads with us,  read more …

There are all sorts of gadgets to create your own knitted chains or I-cords using a knitting mushroom, knitting tower, knitting spool/cork, knitting Nancy (or a knitting Ned) and so on that it makes your head spin! For my first grader’s beginning handcraft unit we began with braiding, knot-tying and finger knitting and worked our  read more …

Babies love blocks! A beautiful way to experience stacking, throwing, and gnawing is by offering baby blocks which are made with organic, naturally-dyed cotton yarn. Tunisian crochet is a wonderful form of handwork that is similar to both knitting and crocheting. It is easier on the hands and wrists, too! It works up more quickly  read more …

When the snowy days of winter come around I often want to just curl up under a throw with a book and a mug of hot chocolate. Though it takes some effort I try to regularly push myself out of my literal comfort zone, to take my kids outside for an afternoon of play in  read more …

Simple silhouettes dance across a screen awash in a glow of light. On one side of the screen a puppeteer choreographs movement and words, with hands working together bringing puppets to life. On the other side, an enchanted observer feels and imagines right along with the movement, character and story presented. Shadow puppetry is a  read more …

I have two cats at my house who happen to LOVE to chase my yarn balls around the house and bat my skeins across the hardwood floor.  In addition to my kitties, I can recall more than one time that I came into a room only to find my little boy holding a tangled mess  read more …

Little ones love to play in the snow, but sometimes it’s not worth taking the time to bundle them up to play outdoors. The weather might be too cold, or perhaps the bundling process just takes too long. Why not bring the snow in? Filling a sensory table or shallow bucket with freshly fallen snow  read more …

As a mother of three children, and a Waldorf home school educator, I have often wondered what the primary role of toys should be. In a world so inundated with flashing, screaming, buzzing plastic goods available in every aisle, I often feel that toys are losing their primary purpose, and are moving into a very  read more …