Kindergarten

....nourishes and protects sense of awe, wonder, imagination
....offers a way to rehearse for life through purposeful activity
....strengthens a child’s affinity with the world of nature
....creates a rich soil in which a young child can grow

A Waldorf Kindergarten is an extension of the family experience, an intermediary step for the child between home and formal schooling. The goal is to provide a warm, calm, secure, aesthetic environment in which the imagination and creativity of the child will flourish.

The quality of the physical environment of a Waldorf Kindergarten is integral to its goals for the children. The feeling of warmth and security is largely created by using only natural materials: woods, cotton, and wool in the construction of the decor and toys. In this warm environment are placed toys which the children can use to imitate and transform the activities that belong to everyday adult life.

At the Whatcom Hills Waldorf School, children meet themselves deep in the realm of the imagination through stories, songs, puppetry and imaginative play. They meet the world through tasks like baking, sewing, hammering, sawing, sweeping, gardening and grinding grain, which connect them to the rhythms of their body, to life in the family, the community and the natural environment.

The teacher weaves daily and weekly rhythms into the cycles of the year. In autumn, songs and stories celebrate harvest themes. Looking toward winter, craft activities may include candle making, working with wool, and creating colorful transparencies for the window. In spring, bulbs poke through the brown soil, their hints of green encouraging the children to plant seeds for the summer garden.

 

"Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives."

-Rudolf Steiner