In this day of hurried childhood and the demand for academic learning in  pre-school, refuge can be found in the wonderful homely atmosphere of a Waldorf Kindergarten. Here the children totally immerse themselves in their play for hours, free from interruption. They bake bread, paint, or take part in craft activities, sit down to morning tea together, go on walks, and always finish the morning with a magical story told to them by their teacher. All of this follows a rhythm that is constant each week. It is gentle, holistic, and nurturing.

Waldorf education, based on the principles of Rudolf Steiner, is the fastest growing international education movement. Steiner stressed that during the first seven years the child is a sense organ, totally absorbing the world around indiscriminately. It is therefore vitally important during this imitative stage that the child’s world is full of nourishing and beautiful experiences. The soft colours and beauty one experiences upon entering a Waldorf Kindergarten helps to achieve this. The focus is then on physical experiences rather than intellectual learning

The natural ability for creative play, the forerunner to creative adult thinking, is very high during this period. To develop this fully the types of activities and toys are very important. In a Steiner home or kindy there are a few carefully chosen toys. All toys are made from natural materials and can often become a variety of things. For example, a basket of cloths can be used to wrap dolls, play dress-ups, make tents, or create a farmyard scene. Shells, gumnuts, pinecones, and wooden blocks cut from  tree logs are an important part of the room. The concept that less is best actually allows more creative play. It is an absolute treat to see how the kindy room is transformed each day into a child’s world of cubbies, picnics, castles, and so on. Often a large group of children work together to create their play world. The role-play, which then stems from this, is a wonderful experience in itself.

So why is it so important that we let our children play? You notice the difference in your own home for a start. A child who is able to engage themselves in “serious play” at kindy will also do so at home, losing themselves for hours in their games. As they play they are actively learning and developing important creative thinking skills. Allowing the child to do this ,coupled with lots of  outdoor activity, prepares them well for more intellectual learning at a later time. Play is also very important in teaching the child to interact well with others, developing social competence.  The Waldorf Kindergarten experience prepares the child well for any school system and, more importantly, creative thinking as an adult. The importance of play has always been widely accepted in educational circles. Denying children this important phase in their development can hinder their learning later in life.

This opportunity for uninterrupted play is just one of the wonderful differences of  Waldorf education. Another important  feature is the sense of community and an appreciation for the world around. A seasonal nature table is the centre piece for the room, with blossom fairies and flowers in the spring or root children and dark clothes in the winter. The community comes together for a festival to mark the beginning of each season. This all helps the child to internalise the rhythm of nature and understand their world.

A Steiner education fosters active learning and focuses on process rather than product. It gives the children boundaries in a firm but gentle way. It allows the will of the child to unfold gradually and works on the whole child. But most importantly, it honours childhood and acknowledges that successful intellectual learning later will be greatly enhanced by the freedom to explore in those early years.