August Musings: Welcoming the School Year, The Nestling Way
Welcoming the School Year, the Nestling Way
A gentle, joyful return to learning
As August ripens and goldenrod leans in the fields, it’s time to gather the tools for another year of wonder and discovery. Whether you homeschool, unschool, or simply savor slow weekends filled with books and nature walks, I’ve curated a special young learner collection to support your family’s rhythms - beautifully and meaningfully.
Here’s what I'm loving this season:
🎨 Art Supplies
Creativity is at the heart of every good day.
Our collection of beeswax crayons, watercolor sets, and wooden crayon holders makes art feel both magical and accessible. Children are drawn to the vibrant, natural colors and satisfying textures - perfect for painting what they’ve seen outside, illustrating their stories, or simply exploring color and form freely.
- Cherry Wood Crayon Holders even double as mini art displays, offering a beautiful, functional way to keep your supplies in reach and your child’s work honored.
- Stockmar Supplies – Beloved for their vibrant color and beeswax richness, Stockmar crayons and paints offer a sensory-rich art experience that nurtures creativity and fine motor skills.
- Kite Paper – Translucent and luminous, kite paper is perfect for crafting glowing window stars and seasonal decorations that catch the light in magical ways.
- Paint Jar Holder – Our wooden paint jar holder keeps colors steady and spills at bay, making watercolor time calm, organized, and beautiful.
🌿 Nature Exploration Tools
The world outside is full of lessons, surprises, and invitations to wonder.
- Foraging Baskets – Our handmade cotton rope baskets are built for young hands and big discoveries. Whether collecting mushrooms, wildflowers, or pebbles, they carry treasures with ease.
- Wooden Compass – A functional, child-friendly compass for introducing map reading, cardinal directions, and the joy of not always knowing exactly where you're going.
- Adventure Kit – With a magnifying lens, tin for found objects, and space for journaling, this little set encourages curiosity, close looking, and storytelling after every walk.
- Audubon Bird Call – This charming little tool mimics birdsong with a simple twist, inviting children to listen closely and spark conversations with feathered friends.
- Nestling Wool Coat – Thoughtfully designed for warmth and movement, our wool coat wraps your little one in natural fibers, heirloom quality, and everyday comfort.
- Flower Press – Preserve the beauty of seasons past with a classic wooden flower press - perfect for drying petals, leaves, and tiny treasures from nature walks.
- Nature Journal – A quiet space for drawings, notes, and observations, our nature journal encourages reflection and deepens your child’s relationship with the natural world.
🎵 Musical Instruments
Rhythm and sound bring a special magic to learning.
Our tone blocks, rhythm sticks, and chimes are made from beautiful cherry wood and sized for little hands. Whether you use them during morning circle, music time, or spontaneous dance breaks, they help children develop coordination, listening skills, and joyful expression.
- Play Me Pat Bells – Tuned to a diatonic scale and color-coded for ease, Pat Bells invite joyful, hands-on music-making even for the youngest musicians.
- Cherry Rhythm Sticks – Smooth and sturdy, these rhythm sticks offer a satisfying tactile experience while encouraging steady beats, coordination, and creative expression.
- Tone Block – With a rich, resonant sound, our wooden tone block is a simple yet engaging way to explore rhythm, pattern, and musical play.
- Choroi Pentatonic Flutes – Crafted from fine wood and tuned to a soothing pentatonic scale, this flute offers a gentle, breath-centered introduction to melody and musicality.
✨ Wilded Family Learning Tools
Designed by a home-educating family, these learning materials invite children into a deeper connection with nature, time, and self.
From seasonal number wheels to moon phase calendars and alphabet posters, Wilded Family’s offerings are full of quiet wonder and beautiful detail. They help bring rhythm to your learning days while encouraging reverence for the natural world.
- Wilded Family Teaching Clock – Beautifully illustrated and intuitively designed, this wooden clock helps children grasp the rhythm of hours and minutes through hands-on, nature-inspired learning.
- Wilded Family Autumn Writing Paper – Decorated with gentle seasonal illustrations, this lined paper turns handwriting and storytelling into a cozy, creative autumn ritual.
- Wilded Family Perpetual Moon Calendar – A stunning, interactive tool for tracking the lunar cycle year after year, fostering a deeper connection to time, rhythm, and nature’s quiet changes.
Bonus:
- Uncle Goose Sign Language Blocks – These heirloom wooden blocks teach American Sign Language through play, blending language learning with timeless, tactile fun.
- Montrose Biology Junior Ecology Game – Designed to nurture environmental literacy, this engaging game introduces children to ecological principles through storytelling, strategy, and colorful illustrations.
📚 Books That Nourish the Soul
Stories have a way of planting seeds.
Our book selection includes picture books, nature guides, and seasonal tales—all chosen to inspire gentle curiosity and strengthen your connection to the world around you. They’re perfect for morning basket time, quiet afternoon reading, or sparking a new project or nature walk.
- Your Wild Books – Brimming with nature crafts, scavenger hunts, and outdoor prompts, these books inspire wild-hearted play and creative exploration in every season.
- Grimm’s Fairy Tales – Timeless and wondrous, this collection of classic tales stirs the imagination and connects children with the rich roots of folklore.
- A Child’s Book of Poems – A gentle treasury of verse, this beautifully illustrated book introduces children to the rhythm and beauty of language through classic poetry.
- Around the Great Oak Tree – Centered on the changing seasons of one mighty oak, this lyrical story blends nature study with gentle storytelling, perfect for read-aloud time.
- Greek Myths – Full of drama, courage, and enchantment, these retellings of Greek myths introduce children to timeless tales that have shaped art and storytelling for centuries.
This season, let’s fill our baskets (literal and metaphorical) with tools that encourage exploration, creativity, and wonder. However you approach learning, I'm honored to support your family’s path.
Browse our full school year collection HERE.
Wishing you a season of discovery and delight!
Mae
