If you’re looking into preschools and child care centers for your child and you are in a major urban center, the options that are out there can seem daunting. I’ve written about play-based parent participation preschools and the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. The Waldorf or Waldorf-inspired preschool is a little less common, but it is also an option for parents looking for a nature-inspired preschool for their children.
Waldorf education is based on the ideals of Rudolf Steiner who founded the modern concepts of anthrosophy. The first Waldorf School opened in 1919. The Waldorf approach integrates the arts and practical home skills. It also focuses on the development of moral, holistic human beings. Nature and natural materials are highly valued, as are natural and imaginary creatures like fairies.
What does this mean for your young child? It means that a Waldorf or Waldorf-inspired environment will be rich with natural materials like wool felt, play silks, and wooden blocks. Steiner believed that the child should be in a home or home-like environment until age six or seven. This means that early childhood education in Waldorf schools focuses on activities like crafts, baking, and music.
Competitive sports are not a large feature of Waldorf in the early years, nor is standardized academic curriculum and testing. This is not a preschool where your child will learn to identify her letters and numbers, but she will have the opportunity to work in a quiet, nature-inspired and home-like environment.
The Waldorf approach to education is implicitly spiritual and based on the celebration of the child as a soul who is learning. Waldorf schools tend to celebrate the seasons as they pass, although these often connect with local seasonal celebrations as well.
A true Waldorf school has accredited teachers, while a Waldorf-inspired preschools and child care centers may not carry the Waldorf name but may integrate Waldorf materials and approaches to education.