It’s been over a month since I started homeschooling my four-year-old triplet nephews for our Waldorf-inspired kindergarten, and we are finally beginning to settle into a really good rhythm on Day 13, Thursday, October 1, 2026.

The children now know to begin in the kindergarten room with our opening activities. We check the weather, look at the calendar, and use our little peg dolls to mark the day and season. Since it is fall, we also have our seasonal basket filled with treasures, handmade objects, and projects that the children can explore.

Some of those projects eventually become part of our kindergarten day simply because the children are drawn to them. I had not planned to make wet-felted pumpkins, but once they saw the little wool pumpkin in our fall basket, they immediately wanted to make one of their own.

While I was pulling out the materials for that project, something completely unexpected happened. The children asked to return to their weaving.

The last time we worked on weaving, it was quite challenging for them. I had originally brought the project for my 11-year-old nephew, who has been doing beautifully with it, and the four-year-olds wanted to try it as well. They struggled quite a bit the first time, so I was genuinely surprised when they asked to do it again.

The child who had struggled the most was actually the one who asked for the weaving first. He sat down, persevered, and nearly completed the entire project.

This time, I approached the weaving differently. I stopped correcting every mistake.

Instead of worrying about whether every row followed the perfect over-under pattern, I allowed them to work through it in their own way. Some sections may have several strands going over or under in the same direction, but that really doesn’t matter. What mattered was that they wanted to return to the work, they were engaged, and they were willing to keep trying.

Once one child began weaving again, his brothers were inspired to come back and continue their projects too. It was such a good reminder that sometimes children simply need another opportunity without the pressure of having to do everything correctly.

My 11-year-old nephew also has projects that are specifically for him. I had purchased four wooden cutting boards for the children, and he has been wood burning each child’s name into their board. I love finding meaningful work for him that allows him to participate alongside the younger children while still giving him something appropriate for his own age and abilities.

There was also plenty of time for imaginative play. Our wooden play structure from Head, Hands, and Heart Boutique in Canada has become such a beautiful part of the room. I draped it with several different fabrics, and now the children have created little cozy spaces inside. It is large enough for all three of them, and they have really made it their own.

Back in the kitchen, we began preparing our wet-felted pumpkins. My sister-in-law helped by wrapping string around the wool balls to create that recognizable pumpkin shape while I made pizza for the children. We usually try to involve them in preparing our snacks, but this time I decided to make the food while they continued with their projects.

Then it was time to wet felt.

Once again, I brought out our buckets of warm water and ice water, and the children worked the wool until it began to felt together. While they were felting, I prepared a madder root dye bath. Each child was able to place their wool pumpkin into the dye so we could begin transforming the natural wool into that beautiful warm pumpkin color.

We ended our day the way we usually do, back in the kindergarten room with our story, The Hedgehog Leaves Home. And after reading it together for so many kindergarten days, we finally finished the story.

More than a month into this experience, I can really feel our rhythm beginning to take shape. The children know what to expect, but there is still so much room for their interests to guide what we do. Sometimes a project I thought was too difficult becomes the one they ask to return to. Sometimes something sitting quietly in a seasonal basket becomes our next handwork project.

I am learning to observe more, correct less, and give them the space to show me what they are ready for.

Head Hands and Heart Boutique