It’s a puzzle to me how and why so many of the Waldorf and LifeWays early childhood programs I have visited turn on some kind of mechanical device to make “white noise” when it’s time for nap. These teachers have heard and believe Rudolf Steiner’s indication that “the young child is all sense organ,” and […]
White Noise and Cognitive Dissonance by Rahima Baldwin Dancy Read More »
Have you ever wanted to do something special for a festival and then thought, “No, I could never get all of the parents to keep their voices down/sit still/wear appropriate clothing/sing the same song”? See how Susan Siverio helps the parents at Spindlewood Waldorf Kindergarten and LifeWays Center, to prepare for their Advent Spiral in
Setting the Tone for Festivals Read More »
At Rainbow Bridge we always scheduled our “Winter Festival” on the last day before winter break. We would invite all the parents to come from 11:30-12:30 and take their children home with them—no afternoon care that day because it’s so hard for children to have parents come and go without taking them home. Because
A Winter Festival Celebrating Community, by Rahima Dancy Read More »
(Note: this article is re-printed with permission from the blog Joyful Toddlers. The original article can be viewed here.) Dear Miss Faith, My little guy is starting daycare and while I’m sure that it will be a wonderful, loving place for him, I am dreading dropping him off and saying goodbye. We have had a
Starting Daycare and Saying Goodbye Read More »
At Spindlewood we always begin the year with a Family Work Party. It’s a bit of a Parent-Child Morning Garden, with work projects, and an opportunity to observe the children out of the corner of our eyes as they imitate our meaningful and cooperative activity. Yes, I always feel that I am asking too much
Family Work Day to Start the School Year Read More »
I’d like to share with you something I learned last Fall. It was mid-September, and there was a new little boy in the room, one of many. This boy however, rather than bond with all the teachers equally, bonded exclusively with me. I must admit, it made me feel special. I alone had the power
Helping a New Child, Then Stepping Back Read More »
Because young children love stories, and magic, and anticipation, it can be especially enriching for children if we add those three aspects to any project that we do with them. Let’s take the idea of making Apple Crisp: it can be done in half a morning. Simply chop up some apples, stir in some cinnamon
The Art of Apples in the Fall Read More »
Children love the jolly jack-o-lanterns, but at Spindlewood we like to keep our pumpkins alive all year round, beginning with hunting for them in the overgrown summer garden. Then we keep one to stand guard until the frost on the pumpkin finally renders it food for the sheep and chickens. We save some
Pumpkins All Year Round! Read More »
Here at The Orchard, our in-home, LifeWays-inspired child care place, being outdoors, rain or shine, hot or cold, is a given. It is also a challenge because, although we value and promote unstructured free play outdoors, we look for opportunities to share nature together. Apart from unstructured, surprise encounters with nature, this happens in two
Children In Nature Read More »
Living on islands surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean in every direction, Hawaii’s children are connected to the rhythms of tides and the seasons through the powerful, pervasive element of water. For those living on the Big Island, fire and air are also ever present elemental realities, as Pele spews out molten lava at
Gardening as an Integral Part of My LifeWays Care Setting Read More »
