"Light and Warmth" - The enchanted playroom I always dreamed of as a child...
by Suzi
(Illinois, USA)
...I just didn't know what it looked like until now!
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Believe it or not, this playspace is actually our living room! Yes, we do have a den and even an extra bedroom, but I made a conscious effort to ensure that our children had the BEST playspace in the BEST room of the house. And that means a room filled the two most important elements to color their world of play: light and warmth.
The room is inspired first and foremost by my 2 year old daughter and 3 year old son. The entire playspace is Waldorf-inspired, from the natural wood playstands and kitchen, to the baskets of tree blocks, shells, and playsilks, the wooden vehicles and train, and the Waldorf dolls and bed. The playspace is used daily by our children as they become cooks in the kitchen, farmers at the farmers market, and parents to the babies. I constantly marvel at their creativity and imagination as they transform simple objects into living things that inspire wonder.
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But the Waldorf inspiration reaches far beyond the aesthetics of our children's playspace. Yes, the items are beautiful, but they are a reflection and outpouring of our entire parenting philosophy. The Waldorf philosophy of educating the whole child through head, heart, and hands has taken a hold of my heart personally, both as a mother and as my children's first teacher. It has been a pleasant surprise to see my own self-development as I have embarked on the journey of learning more about Waldorf education over the last year--so much so, that I just enrolled in a Waldorf teacher training program so that I may homeschool our children with our home and nature as the "classroom."
It is also my dream to share the light and warmth of our playspace with other children. I hope to begin my own Waldorf early childhood program in our home in the years to come, and also to bring the light and warmth of this playspace into the lives of my grandchildren and for many generations.
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Often there are times, after our children are asleep, when I tiptoe out to our living room and marvel at the beauty of the natural items in the playspace. I even get the urge to play in it myself, or to wish that I was 2-3 years old again so I could experience this little world from the eyes of a child!
I think about the traditional use of a living room as a formal gathering for adults and smile to myself because I don't mind at all that our living room is our children's playspace. Because this room is the heart of our home and being used for nurturing our children's growth and development, in my mind it has truly become a "living room" created for its intended purpose.
There will come a time when our children get older and outgrow the beautiful playspace that has been created for them. But when that time comes, I know in my heart that they will hold the memories of the magical world of play that they created in this room, and will carry those memories to the world around them as they live and play and grow.
