This craft activity is one that I have been putting together since last year, but with Spring upon us again, it felt like the right time to share it. This felt butterfly pairs beautifully with a transformation story about a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The process of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly is a story that children love. The transformation story is an important one for them to experience, as it will have parallels to their own life; it signifies the changes th

Attending a Steiner school as a child I was always in awe of the seasonal table. A small space in the classroom dedicated to celebrating the seasons and changes in nature. Everything was carefully selected; the colour of the cloth, the small figurines, a beeswax candle which was lit at story time and the many objects collected from nature. Over the school year the table would gradually change; shells and rocks were replaced with autumn leaves. Brown leaves were moved aside to

This topic is where my passion for music education and love for Waldorf combine. Verse and song form an important part of the daily rhythm and routine in Steiner kindergartens. A simple song can let the children know that it is time to pack up and another can have them rushing to the sink to wash their hands. Music in the mood of the fifth is a type of music based on indications from Rudolf Steiner. This post focuses on more commonly known nursery rhymes, but if you’re inter

If you have ever visited a Steiner playgroup or kindergarten you may have experienced music in the mood of the fifth. This style of Steiner music has an ethereal, expansive quality. It is thought to best reach children in their dream consciousness. This musical style is based on indications from Rudolf Steiner as to what is most appropriate for young children in the early years. Although I have been teaching and playing music for many years I had never come across this type o

There’s something special about the start of spring. The increasing morning light, growing activity of the birds and the butterflies emerging. Celebrating the seasons with our children can enrich their lives, as well as our own. Creating a theme for the season is one way in which to do that. These simple butterflies have tied in beautifully with our theme for this season. I have been telling the magical story of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly for a few weeks now

Have you heard of the 12 senses? Steiner often spoke of the 12 senses in relation to healthy human development. Having a better understanding of these senses can help parents to support healthy childhood development. Read on to discover more… What are the 12 senses? According to anthroposophy, the 12 human senses are the way in which the soul experiences the external world. Humans don't relate to the world only through the 5 senses which are normally considered; rather Steine

This post is one part of a series on how to incorporate 5 aspects of the Steiner kindergarten program into your Waldorf home. Today we will focus on a 'time to work' by baking bread. For an overview of the 5 aspects, click here. Children love to make form. It doesn’t matter whether it is building sandcastles, squishing mud or modelling clay – they love to create form out of malleable material. My toddler is no exception - he could play in the sandpit for hours! Another way to

This post is part of a series on how to incorporate 5 aspects of the Steiner kindergarten program into your Waldorf home. Today we will be focusing on the element of creating art through drawing. For an overview of all 5 elements, click here. This post includes affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase through my link I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Drawing in the Waldorf preschool is an unguided process. There are no black lines to 'c

Walking into a Steiner kindergarten is a unique experience. The room is warm and inviting, the furniture has rounded edges and the walls are painted a soft pink called ‘peach blossom’. Toys made out of natural materials are displayed on low shelves, bread is baking in the oven and the children are playing freely or assisting the teacher. There is a gentle rhythm to the day, with one activity flowing easily into the next. Although we can’t transform our home into a Waldorf pr

The Morning Circle is the first formal activity of the day in a Steiner kindergarten program. It is a sequence of verse and/or song accompanied by actions. The activity is led by the teacher and gestures are copied by the children. The same morning circle is repeated every day for 3 weeks and by the end of the 3 weeks most children will be able to recite the verse and complete all actions. The Morning Circle can be used daily in the home environment to bring attention to the

Step-by-step instructions | Toddler friendly I have such fond childhood memories of Easter. The smell of hot cross buns baking in the oven, painting and dying eggs, creating Easter baskets and, of course, the Easter Egg Hunt. First thing on Easter Sunday morning we would rush outside to see where the eggs had been hidden; filling our baskets to the brim and pushing each other out of the way. Creating Easter baskets became a yearly tradition and it is something which I plan to

Rhythm and routine form a big part of the Waldorf early years education. Rhythms can happen on a daily basis; taking your shoes off when you come inside, saying morning verse at the start of each day and sitting down together to eat morning tea. Rhythms can also occur on a weekly rotation; baking bread on Monday, painting on Tuesday, handwork on Wednesday and so on. Seasonal rituals add another layer again and can help to give the child a sense of the changing seasons, encour