Birthday and Holiday gifts when your a minimalist

I am a wacko when it comes to toys and things that Pipiri plays with. I am sure I drive my friends and family nuts! 

When I discovered Waldorf several years ago one of the main aspects that drew me to it was the amazing play things! Read more about that Here and Here.

Wooden, natural, high quality, wool, and very few!! 

That's right minimal! 

Very few high quality toys!

No plastic, no polyester, nothing that blinks or makes noise, nothing techy, no video games, no movie or cartoon paraphernalia...so once I cleared out all of the junk there was no going back.

Sooo when it comes to birthdays, holidays, and any other times gifts are involved I try to my best to keep what comes into our home as simple and natural as possible. 

Thank you to our friends and family Pipiri's birthday gifts were amazing! So thoughtful and beautiful! 

I love Waldorf toys!

When I first discovered Waldorf 3 years ago (read more about that Here).....it was however the beautiful toys that made me fall in love with this way of life...way of teaching...way to slow down...way to be in the moment.

I love the simplicity of the toys. 

I love that they are wooden.

I love that they are wool.

I love that they smell so wonderful.

I love how active it makes my child.

I love how the imagination it has created in her.

I love the natural element.

I love the dolls.

I love them all! 

Playstand Arch And Playstandslike these are found in Waldorf kindergartens all over the world. They are a childs fantasy world. They can be a store, a house, a puppet show, a doll bed....wherever a childs imagination takes them! They also have lovely shelves to house a few other items.  And a beautiful Night Sky Silkscape is placed over the  Playstand Arch and Playstands to make it a secret beautiful hideaway. They are not cheap..that's for sure...but with all Waldorf toys they are of amazing quality and will last a life time! 

This barn is one of my favorites! It's called Sam's Stable and it is so beautifully made....an heirloom piece! 

My 4 year old can shoot a bow and arrow like nobody's business! 

Over these last few years I have simplified our toys to only wooden and only naturally made...mostly. We do have a big wheel and a couple of other unnatural toys but 99% are Waldorf approved. 

If you haven't read Simplicity Parenting and you are interested in simplifying your life and your kids toys...I highly suggest reading it! 

Waldorf Elves Faire

The Linden Waldorf School here in nashville has the most amazing magical faire every November. If you live anywhere close its a must see!

Kids can rock climb, see a puppet show, eat yummy food from food trucks and from the cafe, test their skills at archery and Jacobs ladder, create beautiful stick wands, listen to live music,  jump rope making, an angel room for kids only to shop and the Little Seed store (my favorite!!) and sooo much more!!!!

All around an incredible magical day!!!

Martinmas

One of the wonderful thing that I love about the Waldorf way of life is all of the wonderful festivals we celebrate together.

We celebrated Saint Martin also called Martinmas. 

This following is from Wikipedia describing who St. Martin is:

   "The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying from the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me.""

For our homeschool group we started our day with the kiddos having their classes. Followed by tons of outdoor playing. Circle time with poems and songs. The children then acted out the story of St. Martin using beautifully crafted wooden characters. We ate an amazing lunch together. Crafted our wooden lanterns. Had another amazing meal. Followed by a full moon latern walk!

Waldorf Homeschool Farm Day

Vincent Van Gogh

We started our famous artist study with one of my favorites... Vincent Van Gogh!

We read several books on him.
Touch the Art: Make Van Gogh's Bed

 Touch the Art: Catch Picasso's Rooster
Monet to Dali: Impressionist and Modern Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art

She played with her Van Gogh puppet..Artist Finger Puppet Set: The Great Artists

We wrote some facts about him in her famous artist notebook. 

Lastly she drew her own self portrait after jotting down some specific facial features of herself...using  the bathroom mirror and Lyra pencils, Lyra sharpener And  Watercolor paper.  I prefer to use really lovely materials for all of her art work. Not on a day to say basis..been when we are having school or she's creating something that I know we will want to keep.

Finished self portrait!!!