The Quiet Power of a Weekly Art Rhythm

Where can you find a place for art in the rhythm of your home life?

In the busyness of homeschooling life, it’s easy to feel like we’re constantly moving - navigating lessons, meals, dishes, and the emotional weather of a growing family.

Amid all that motion, creating (and returning to) a weekly rhythm that includes art can feel like a gentle anchor.

This rhythm doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t require hours of free time or a perfectly tidy table. It’s about carving out a small space, once a week, for quiet creativity. A simple drawing session, a watercolor moment, a bit of modeling with beeswax or clay. These moments aren’t “extra.” They’re essential. (And, if your rhythm is sometimes more of a gentle intention than a fixed schedule, that’s okay too. Even coming back to art ‘when you can’ has power.)

Engaging with art has many benefits for the whole family.

When art is woven into our weekly rhythm, it becomes more than just another subject to check off the list.

It becomes a shared moment of stillness. A way to regulate together. The repetition alone - of knowing art will come again next week - offers calm. It trains us (and our children) to expect beauty, to make space for process, and to feel safe in the creative unknown.

Over time, this rhythm builds a quiet kind of confidence. We learn to show up, even when we’re tired or distracted. And our children see us doing that - not perfectly, but consistently. They learn that creativity isn’t reserved for artists or experts. It’s something humans do - week after week, rain or shine.

Taking time to reconnect through art.

In that rhythm, we reconnect with each other. With the moment. And perhaps most importantly, with ourselves.

So if you’re looking for a way to ease the pace, to nourish the atmosphere of your homeschool, or simply to feel more grounded, consider this: a little art, once a week. No pressure. Just presence.

And let that be enough.

If you’d like some support creating your own weekly art rhythm, reach out and/or take a look at our Weekly Art Foundations course (open for enrollment again currently!)

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About the Author

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and a course instructor for some of our courses - Waldorf Art for Beginners, Weekly Art Foundations, and Simple Season. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers! Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

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Why Art Is at the Heart of Waldorf Education (Even If You Don’t Feel Like an Artist)

If you’re new to Waldorf education, one of the first things you’ll probably notice is how art-full it is.

In Waldorf Education, art is everywhere!

From watercolor painting and crayon drawings to beeswax modeling and form drawing, it’s everywhere. And if you're anything like many of us, that might feel a little... intimidating. Maybe even a little frustrating. (“But I’m not an artist!” Sound familiar?)

But here’s the beautiful part: Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, didn’t put art into the curriculum to turn children into professional artists. He placed it there because he knew something essential - art builds the muscles needed for learning.

Let’s pause there for a second.

We tend to think of learning as something that happens in the mind. Reading, writing, memorizing facts and dates. But Steiner understood that learning is actually a full-body, full-being process. When children engage with artistic activity - whether it’s singing, painting, or sculpting - they’re not just being “creative.” They’re developing capacities that form the foundation for academic learning: concentration, perseverance, observation, fine motor skills, and a deepened connection to beauty and meaning.

In other words, art in the Waldorf curriculum isn’t extra. It is the curriculum.

Steiner often said that the arts awaken the “will” - that inner spark that allows a child to want to learn, to push through challenge, and to care about what they’re doing. He knew that when a child draws a picture of a story they’ve just heard, or moves their body through a geometric form, they’re not just decorating their lesson, they’re embodying it. That kind of learning sticks. It sinks in at a level far deeper than rote memorization ever could.

Take a deep breath, and get started!

So if you're feeling nervous about bringing art into your homeschooling rhythm, take heart: it's not about doing it perfectly. It's about showing up with curiosity and openness. It's about trusting the process - just like we hope our children will do.

You don’t have to be an expert artist. You just need to be willing to pick up the crayon, the brush, the modeling wax... and begin.

Because art isn’t just a “subject” in Waldorf education. It’s the vehicle for learning. And in the long run, it nurtures not only academic understanding, but also imagination, resilience, and joy.

And that? That’s worth a little mess on the table!

If you’d like some support creating your own weekly art rhythm, reach out and/or take a look at our Weekly Art Foundations course (open for enrollment on July 21st, 2025!)

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Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

More from Waldorfish…

Learning through Recreating: What studying great artists has to teach us.

An important aspect of middle school art curriculum in Waldorf Education is providing opportunities for students to find their own artistic style.

A Matisse-inspired still life chalk drawing from our Weekly Art Foundations course.

One of the best ways to do this? Recreate the works of great artists from the past!

We realize this may sound counterintuitive; how can copying artwork from another artist help a middle schooler find their own style - isn’t it stifling their creativity? 

In Waldorf education, the practice of studying and emulating master artists aligns beautifully with its holistic, experiential approach to learning. Learning through imitation lays a strong foundation for creative expression!

The imitation is not about rigid replication but about deeply experiencing artistic techniques, composition, and color in a hands-on way.

Just as a young musician learns by playing classical pieces before composing their own music, young artists build confidence and skill by studying the masters. 

Just as so much of the Waldorf curriculum does in 7th grade, we take our cues from the artists of the Renaissance. When the artistic world was expanding quickly and household names such as Leonardo di Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael were in their creative primes, one of the ways hopeful apprentices learned was to recreate the style, technique and subjects of these (and other) artists. This method aligns with the Waldorf developmental principle that learning is most effective when it is embodied and experienced.

Through the process of copying entire great works of art or specific techniques individually, students learn foundational skills required to create a beautiful and complete piece.

A chalk drawing inspired by Monet’s “Water Lilies” series, from our Weekly Art Foundations course.

From setting the base, finding the most pleasing composition, and mixing colors, studying the masters serves as a stepping stone to personal artistic expression.

As we have discovered again and again, a strong foundation provides the confidence and ability to branch out and find one’s own style; copying masterworks isn’t just about technique—it engages the hands, heart, and mind.

Waldorf education seeks to cultivate the whole child, and working with master artists' techniques allows students to feel the art, not just analyze it.

Recreating an artist’s work is the epitome of learning through doing, which is what Waldorf education is all about!

In our art courses, we include various lessons that do just this: take a well-known artist’s work and techniques, and recreate them. From Claude Monet to Alma Thomas, Vincent van Gogh, to figure drawing as Michaelangelo once did, our courses draw on inspiration from great artists of the past and awaken our students’ own creative forces in a deeply meaningful way.

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, and Botany, as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum! 

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More from Waldorfish!

Waldorf 5th Grade: Weaving Geometry Throughout the Curriculum

“The Crown” form found in our grade five geometry course.

Waldorf fifth grade curriculum includes a variety of subjects to explore.

It is particularly exciting because it is the first year history and science are introduced as stand-alone areas of study. Ancient Civilizations, Greek Mythologies and History, Botany, Decimals, and much more are explored using a variety of approaches, including (but not limited to!) art, music, and story.

One of our favorite aspects of the fifth grade curriculum is Geometry. Through a freehand approach, the fifth grader builds a strong relationship to geometry within their own bodies, and is prepared for the more complex work with tools that they will experience in sixth grade.

Geometry can be taught in block form in fifth grade (where the lessons are taught every school day over a three or four week period) and/or can also be sprinkled in throughout the school year - it is an ideal subject to be woven into other aspects of the curriculum.

Geometry fits in just about everywhere in the fifth grade year- here are several suggestions if you’re interested in weaving it all together:

Javelin throwing is a big part of the Pentathlon and can be a full-body way of exploring parallel lines, angles, arcs, and much more from the geometry curriculum!

• Greek history: Greek architecture and art is filled with familiar forms that are found all throughout geometry in fifth grade and will also bring back an opportunity to review form drawing as well.

• Movement: As students prepare for the Waldorf Pentathlon (a common activity for fifth graders), students and educators can explore the geometry behind movement. Angles of the javelin throw, symmetry in running strides, and the circular motion in discus throwing all connect back to geometry in a real-world way.

• Botany: Flowers and leaves unfurl, bloom, and structure themselves in beautiful patterns naturally! Take the time to find these patterns through nature sketching, or on a hike, and discover just how orderly nature really is. 

• Ancient Civilizations: Mandalas evoke the beauty of Ancient India, the sculpture and carvings of Ancient Persia have repeating patterns- there is endless inspiration here for things to be created on main lesson book pages and other artwork!

• Map drawing: Fifth grade is a wonderful time to bring in a more strategic and skillful approach to map drawing by using freehand grids. Maps can be drawn of students’ home towns, countries, ancient kingdoms, and much more. 

One of the most beautiful aspects of Waldorf Education is how various subjects seamlessly weave into each other, and geometry is no exception!

Math into art, history into nature studies, music into movement- the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating a rich tapestry with the fifth grade curriculum. 

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season,, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, and Botany, as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum!