7 Ways to Hygge with Littles
Hygge (pronounced Hoo-gah) is actually a Danish word but takes on meaning in other Scandanavian countries. Hygge isn’t a physical thing, you can’t buy hygge foods, or decor. It’s the feeling of being cozy. Generally associated with the winter, when the days are short and dreary so most people spend time indoors.
I like to think of hygge a little like hybernating. The same way animals build cozy nests and dens to settle in for winter, hygge is bringing coziness and warmth to your home in an otherwise bleak season. Here are some of our favorite ways to hygge in the wintertime with littles.
Candles and fairy lights: We love using candles and fairy lights to create a soft glow around our house. Recently, we found a beeswax candle making kit and had so much fun making candles together. Our intention is to make several more to light in the evenings.
2. Baking: We bake a lot in our home, mostly sourdough. In the winter we back quite a bit more sweet treat, especially with all the holidays. Our favorites are sourdough chocolate chip cookies, superhero muffins, and apple crumbles. There’s something cozy about the smell of fresh baked goods.
3. Bring Nature In: The school room is mostly decorated in “found things”. During walks, Nora is often heard saying, “I found some nature!” And filling her basket with whatever interesting artifact she’s collected. On a recent trip to the pumpkin patch I emptied the diaper bag to find 14 chicken feathers she had managed to sneak in! We have a nature shelf that she stores her treasures on. I originally started out not wanting any of her collection in the house but now I love our nature area!
4. Tea time: On Wednesday’s we like to have “fancy tea”. Wednesday is Nora’s co-op day so she is at her program until 2:10 giving me plenty of time to set up our stories and tea for the afternoon. We don’t limit tea to just Wednesday’s. Tea, hot chocolate, coffee, are cold weather staples all winter.
5. All the books: Our library haul gets a little out of hand sometimes but the long winter days are perfect for snuggling up and working through your reading list. We tend to keep books in pretty much every room so there’s always an opportunity to read.
6. Crafts: Wintertime is a great opportunity for handicrafts! In the warmer weather we often overlook this part of our school routine for outside play but the winter, we have all the craft projects going on. Waldorf paper stars are a beautiful way to add color and warmth to your space. We might do handsewing, candlemaking, or painting. Of course, LWW cultural crafts are perfect for winter too!
7. Opt outside: A common phrase is “there’s no such thing as bad weather”. Even in the cold and snow we still try to find time to opt outside. Long bundled up walks, snow play, and exploring the duck pond we frequent, help us not feel so cooped up. Even in the winter time we all still need our vitamin d and connection with nature!
There are so many other ways to bring the feeling of hygge into your home. We love wool socks, knit blankets, and piano music to help bring in cozy feels and winter vibes.
