Resources for Teachers and Caregivers

Welcome to LifeWays!

To introduce you to our innovative approach to care for young children, we invite you to jump into our FREE online course. "Welcome to LifeWays" includes videos and resources to help you deepen your home life and transform your work with children! Enjoy it on your own time, and at your own pace!

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Renewing Life at Home

A FREE Webinar with Acacia Moore and Cynthia Aldinger
Sunday, February 23, 2- 2:45 pm CT

In this live webinar, Acacia and Cynthia will present some holistic guidelines for creating a meaningful and nourishing life for everyone in the family, and then help you put them into direct practice through simple reflection and single-step plans. Yes! Single steps pave the way to deliberate change read more...

Singing Through the Day With Anna Rainville

Thursdays, Feb 27, Mar 20, Apr 24, 7- 8pm Central

How do we lift the day with very young children into musical delight? Come learn simple melodies, movement, and games to accompany daily rhythms and ease transitions. Join Anna for three LIVE sessions of a workshop geared towards caregivers working with toddlers and three’s. read more...

Birth to Three: Child Development and Care with Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Three weeks starting Wednesday, March 5, 2025

An online course for childcare providers, early childhood teachers and parents based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education.

Deepen your understanding of the unfolding experiences and needs of infants and toddlers through this unique online course developed by Rahima Baldwin Dancy. Convenient three-week format offers 12 CEUs for teachers and childcare providers. read more...

Circle of Hands Experienced

An In-Depth Handwork Experience with Mindy Upton of Blue Sky Craft Studio
Once-monthly, September 2024 through May 2025

Join us for a “closed” Circle experience with colleagues from Year One; this second year circle will build upon established handwork skills. Mindy is providing a unique and wonderful opportunity for participants, bringing together handwork, music and story for a complete experience that can be used in your early childhood program immediately after completion! The year’s curriculum will include creating puppets, seasonal crafts and nature garden creatures that will enliven your growing repertoire. read more...

The Genius of Play

A FREE Webinar with Judith Frizlen
Thursday, Mar 27, 2025 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. Central Time

Have you witnessed a child at play? They are relaxed, alert, and self-directed. What you cannot see is that the child is experiencing optimal brain functioning, making neural connections while learning with ease. read more...

Becoming Champions of Play with Judith Frizlen

A course for care providers, early childhood teachers and families!
Three weeks beginning April 9, 2025
Zoom session: Thursday, April 10, 6- 7 pm CT

In this three-week course, we will explore play which is nature's way to support child development. Understanding the important role of play in child development helps us become champions of play!

Play is innate; the young child does not need to learn to play but rather be allowed to play by having time, space and a confident adult presence. Instead of worrying about what children are or are not learning, let's build our trust in the child to practice what they need to learn! Let's bring our own playful attitudes to learn all about play. read more...

Food for Thought: Rhythm and Beauty of Nutrition

With Michaeleen Hinca
Four weeks beginning April 30th

This delicious online course offers a menu of ideas to childcare providers, early childhood teachers and Grand/parents who are craving Food for Thought about the nourishment they are offering to the children in their lives. Learn to savor the many rhythms around meals and snacks and serve them up with love and intention. read more...

Using "Home" as the Model in your Program with Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Starting Wednesday, June 11, 2025
A three-week online course for early childhood teachers and childcare providers in any location - schools, centers and homes

Whether you’re seasoned in the LifeWays approach or new to incorporating these elements into your program, this course is for you!

• Rahima will guide you in looking at your program on four different levels - the physical, rhythmical, relational/emotional and spiritual/values levels.
• Be inspired by hundreds of ways other providers have made their programs more home-like.
• Create a plan to bring one or more new elements into your own program.

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Curative Education in Early Childhood

A Three Day Online Workshop with Robyn Brown of The Mulberry Center for Curative Education
June 27th- 29th, 10:00am - 1:30pm Central with a 30 minute break.

All over the country today, we are receiving into our homes, programs, and classrooms a constant stream of children at younger and younger ages who are needing more than what many current models of care and education offer. They are coming with obstacles and challenges to their incarnation and growth that require a more specialized lens for seeing them and how to guide them in. Rudolf Steiner’s curative education lectures hold for us a beacon of light in our search for how to meet them.

Join us for a workshop with Robyn Brown to explore what it truly means to observe and why those observations are useful. read more...

Building a Strong Foundation: Care of the Young Child’s Senses

A course for childcare providers, early childhood teachers and parents with Cynthia Aldinger
Three weeks starting July 9, 2025

We know that the strength of a building lies in its foundation. With high-rise buildings touching the sky these days, it has become all the more important to have powerful foundations. When we expect great things from a building, we know we have to lay the groundwork that keeps the building standing strong against the forces of nature.

Equally important is the foundation built for the child in early childhood development. We must ensure a strong foundation is created for all later learning to stand upon. If the foundation is not strong, the child may encounter difficulties in grade school, high school, or beyond. read more...

LifeWays Early Childhood Fundamentals Course

Inspiration and Support for Working with Young Children
Starting August, 2025 in several locations!

Caregiving, parenting and teaching has become an increasingly challenging endeavor. Providing the right environment and nourishment for children to thrive requires strong intention and a wellspring of support. In the LifeWays Fundamentals course we offer a balance of intellectual content, hands-on work, spiritual nourishment and community support to get you started in your caregiving or educator’s journey. read more...

Creating Home Away from Home: A Course for Home Childcare Providers

Ongoing - enroll any time!

Celebrando: Entendiendo, Creando y Viviendo las fiestas con intención

Creando un ritmo anual basado en las celebraciones
Inscripciones abiertas todo el año. Registrate y aprende a tu ritmo ¡Ya!

Desde la antigüedad, la humanidad ha observado los cambios estacionales, cada cultura, desde sus creencias y perspectiva ha marcado pautas que marcan el pasar del tiempo y se manifiestan con celebraciones y festivales. Se ha creado así un ritmo anual de fiestas y conmemoraciones que vive en nuestras raíces. Cuando vivimos estas fiestas con consciencia nos nutren a niveles profundos, avivando y alimentando nuestra vitalidad, nuestro sentido de vida y ayudándonos a conectar con todo y todos los que nos rodean. leer más...

The Living Arts - Cornerstones of Care

Ongoing - enroll any time!

In this four-week multimedia course you will explore ways to use the Living Arts as the cornerstones for a solid foundation of learning for the young child and enrichment for your own life. Each module explores one of the Living Arts in depth and details how to bring these activities into your life with young children, whether at home or in programs. read more...