In 1892, Charlotte Mason founded her "House of Education" in England. Her belief was that children are thinking, feeling human beings, as spirits to be kindled and not as vessels to be filled.
Her philosophy about raising and educating children is still alive today; and followed by many families around the world. In addition to her ideas about schooling, she also felt children needed plenty of leisure time.
Leisure, to her, meant being outdoors playing, gardening, doing handicrafts, practicing an instrument, doing chores, cooking, visiting neighbors, or observing and recording the wonders of nature.
She believed that children should have each day:
- Something or someone to love (e.g., parents, sisters, brothers, friends, dog, cat, chickens, sheep, horse).
- Something to do (e.g., sew doll clothes, plant a garden, listen to someone read aloud, assemble a model).
- Something to think about. According to The Charlotte Mason Companion, "It is enjoying other people's ideas, thoughts, and jokes, noticing the beauty in music or pictures, and enjoying country sights and sounds, birds, and flowers."
Keeping these latter two beliefs in mind, I took a look at the many beautiful items on Etsy made by handmadeMN members. These are some of the items that would fall into these categories:
Alpaca Pattern by PlushroomSoup
Art Kit in Pink and Green by harvestmoonbyhand
Reach Out and Grab Ya by MTart