Nurturing Creativity in Children Through Waldorf Inspired Crafts: From A Textile Artist + Mother
As an artist and mother, I’ve always believed that nurturing creativity in my children was one of the most important things I could do. When I discovered Walforf inspired crafts and art supplies when my children were young, I was instantly drawn to the beautiful natural materials, and nourishing seasonal crafts.
And today I want to share some of my favorite Waldorf inspired art and craft materials for kids, as well as books with simple projects that you can use at home, to inspire creativity and a love for making. I’m including links as well, so that you can gather your own supplies for your home or cozy craft corner!
My children grew up playing and creating in my studio alongside me while I was creating my own art..using fabrics, paper, paints, needle, thread, yarn and anything else they could find. It’s extremely important to me that the arts + craft materials that my children use ( as well as myself) are natural and non- toxic. One example of this is using botanical dyes in my work instead of using chemical dyes.
Waldorf crafts use natural materials that feel open ended, so that that children can create without expectations or guidelines. Wood, wool, cotton, beeswax and watercolors are some of the materials that we use.. We also love to find materials outside for our crafts: sticks for hanging banners, rocks for our nature table, leaves for printing and so much more! Using natural materials encourages a sense of wonder and imagination, which are so important for our little one’s development. They also give the child a strong connection to the natural world.
Let’s get to the good stuff! Here are some art + craft materials that I've used over the years and love for my family!
MY FAVORITE WALDORF INSPIRED CRAFT SUPPLIES + TOYS + BOOKS:
ARTS + CRAFT MATERIALS:
* KITE PAPER - I love using this colorful transparent paper to make window stars with my kids, and can be so versatile for so many projects. The sky is the limit with this. Find it HERE
*NATURAL MODELING BEESWAX - Stockmar’s natural modeling beeswax is perfect for sculpting creations and modeling shapes. And it comes in the prettiest of colors! I like to read a fairytale to my child as he warms a bit of beeswax in his hands and then makes a modeling of something from the story! Find it HERE
*LYRA LARGE COLORED PENILS - The colored pencils are an absolute staple in our home! From coloring to writing in lesson books, to learning to write letters and words, these are by far my favorite. Find them HERE
*NATURAL BEESWAX CRAYONS ( BLOCK CRAYONS + STICK CRAYONS) - Beeswax crayons are another favorite in our home. These can be used for everything- and the colors are so pretty!. Find the stick crayons HERE and find the block crayons HERE. And for a crayon pack with more colors I love this one HERE
*NON- TOXIC WATERCOLOR PAINTS - Kids spent a lot of time painting and it’s so important to me that I provide them with non-toxic paint. Find it HERE
*BASIC SKETCHPAD - This is an acid free sketchbook for drawing and coloring. Find it HERE
*WATERCOLOR PAPER - I love using Fluid Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper. Find it HERE
NATURAL TOYS:
*PLAY SILKS - I have to mention these play silks for imaginative play and dress up. You can also use them on a nature table or as a scene for the beeswax modelings. Find them HERE
*SOLID WOOD BUILDING BLOCKS - These blocks are the perfect toy for imagination. Find them HERE
*WILDCRAFT BOARD GAME - Fun and educational game about herbs + plants that we loved. Find it HERE
BOOKS:
Since I love reading, I wanted to share some craft books as well as some inspiring picture books for children, to nourish imagination and creativity. Here are some my family has loved over the years.
*TRANSPARENT WINDOW SCENES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR - Window Scenes and instructions. Find it HERE
*CRAFTING MAGICAL WINDOW STARS - This book has instructions to make 25 lovely window stars. Find it HERE
*PAPER SUNCATCHERS WINDOW STAR KIT - This lovely little book has so many window stars to make, as well as paper to make them with! Find it HERE
*EARTHWAYS - Such a wonderful book for children focusing on seasonal crafts. I’ve used this book countless times with my kids. Find it HERE
*A CHILD’S SEASONAL TREASURY - A lovely book for parents with seasonal songs, finger plays, games, painting and handcraft. Find it HERE
*THE GERDA MULLER SEASONS COLLECTIONS: These books have the most beautiful seasonal images, so inspiring for little ones. Find them HERE
*A NEW YEAR IN OUR GARDEN - Sweet picture book about gardening and community. Find it HERE
Here are just a handful of some of my favorites! I hope you enjoy crafting with your little ones and older children as well!
As always, thanks for being here,
Meghan
The links above are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase something you love. Thanks for supporting my art and my studio! I hope I inspired you with some creative ideas!