The Beauty that Surrounds our Children

With regard to how we behave with children, Rudolf Steiner once said that we should act in such a way as to be worthy of unquestioning imitation. That is quite a tall order for parents and teachers. But we strive every day to deliberately demonstrate kindness, focus, order, and beauty for our children to model. In the process we become better, more conscious human beings ourselves.


What about the other things that surround our children in our homes? When they wake up in the morning, what images greet them and usher them into the day? Today, I would like to discuss the playroom in terms of what surrounds children while they "work and play" -- wall hangings and other decorations which fill the home. I will rely on images from my own daughter's room as well as from my Etsy.com Naturalkids Team colleagues for examples.

When Eva, now four, goes to sleep, several of my needle-felted creations watch over and greet her again in the morning...(see left) Over her kitchen, a tapestry of Eva and her friend Ruby Joe sharing strawberries. This was inspired by a day of strawberry picking at Underwood Family Farms.

Needle felted tapestries such as these enliven the imagination and offer a sense of serenity through the visual sense of color and imagery, and through the sense of touch.

Let's take a look at some of the other tapestries and various wall hangings offered by my colleagues on etsy's Natural Kids Team. They all strive to bring gentle, natural beauty into the world children.



Even before your child reads, he or she will feel the warmth of this tapestry by woolcomesalive.

How about a lovely, and translucent window star by Waldorfmama. (Pictured at the top of the article.)


Woolcreations has a magnificent addition to home decor with these string of lights felted flowers... (see left)


Nishale's lovely butterfly illustration to the right is simple and uncluttered...




Crazy Mama Productions invoke fairies...





Elsa's Love patchwork Factory has a gorgeous dragonfly branch mobile that will delight the eyes of any passerby.



How about a peek into the river with haddy2dogs tapestry...

Think of how lovely it would be for a little one to be greeted every day by artwork for a child...BY a child as in Unwaverinfaith's daughter's spring chick...



Or to see a sunrise shining over a play table as in ohtoseethesunset's silk..





These are all works of art that can be enjoyed by a boy, a girl, or even parents. They bring beauty, color, texture and nature into the space where children live. The model these same attributes and enliven the senses in ways that the large marketing departments of major toy manufacturers could never dream of. And, they are made by hand with love from natural materials which will live on from one generation to the next.

I close with my own tapestry of wild horses running across the meadows. This independence day, may the minds, imaginations and spirits our children be as free!

By Rebecca Varon-Remstein.

All pictures courtesy of the identified artisans of the Natural Kids Team on Etsy.com.