"The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things."
~Plato
~Plato
Atmosphere
The atmosphere we create in our homes will help us give our children an ordered education. We can order our children's affections through their sense experiences. Think about what your children experience through their senses in your home. What do they see? What do they hear? What do they touch, smell, and taste? Our children can experience the true, good, and beautiful right here in our homes. We can inspire and encourage our children to find rest in God, to savor and delight in Him, with the atmosphere in our homes. Here are some ideas for adding truth, goodness, and beauty into the atmosphere of your home.
See
Hear
Touch
Smell
Taste
See
- art on the walls
- history pictures, photographs, artifacts, and timelines on the wall or displayed
- beautiful books on shelves
- plants and herbs in pots inside
- flowers in vases on the tables
- candles lit
- birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees in your backyard
- beautiful trees giving shade
- flowers blooming outside
Hear
- silence
- classical music playing
- poetry read aloud (beautiful language patterns and vocabulary)
- literature read aloud (beautiful language patterns and vocabulary)
- wind blowing
- birds chirping outside the window
- fire crackling or candle crackling
- rhythmic work sounds (swishing of the broom, splashing of dish water)
Touch
- variety of textures in pillows, blankets
- play things made of natural materials (wood, wool, silk, etc.)
- •natural materials to add beauty to the home (wood, wool, silk, etc.)
- nature treasures brought inside to a nature table for touching
- high quality art supplies available to use (pastels, watercolors, colored pencils, paper, etc.)
Smell
- fragrant candle
- fresh flowers in vases on the tables
- garden of flowers, garden of vegetables outside
- bread, cookies, muffins, brownies, baking in the oven
- soup simmering on the stove
- dinner cooking in the oven
Taste
- sharing of meals
- fresh and seasonal fruit and vegetables
- homemade treats and tea time
- milk and cookies for lesson time
- fresh bread (perfect to bake when expecting company)
- herbs and spices in cooking
- dinner parties for adults and children
Order in our homes
We can order our homes in a way in which we are encouraging and promoting a love of God's truth, beauty, and goodness. We can make our homes places where all who enter feel welcome and comforted and encouraged to slow down and linger and find rest in God. We should purposefully create an atmosphere that inspires all who enter to ponder, relish, and savor God's truth, beauty, and goodness.
"For when two or three gather in my name, there I am with them."
~Matthew 18:20
"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
~Colossians 3:16
~Matthew 18:20
"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
~Colossians 3:16
