This topic is where my passion for music education and love for Waldorf combine. Verse and song form an important part of the daily rhythm and routine in Steiner kindergartens. A simple song can let the children know that it is time to pack up and another can have them rushing to the sink to wash their hands. Music in the mood of the fifth is a type of music based on indications from Rudolf Steiner. This post focuses on more commonly known nursery rhymes, but if you’re inter

If you have ever visited a Steiner playgroup or kindergarten you may have experienced music in the mood of the fifth. This style of Steiner music has an ethereal, expansive quality. It is thought to best reach children in their dream consciousness. This musical style is based on indications from Rudolf Steiner as to what is most appropriate for young children in the early years. Although I have been teaching and playing music for many years I had never come across this type o

Toddler Crafts | DIY Card Making I have been involving my 2.5 year old in birthday celebrations for a few months now. Before attending a birthday celebration we talk about who's birthday it is and make a card for them. Up until now the cards have been very simple - a watercolour painting or crayon drawing folded in half with a message written inside. Although this card was still simple to make, it was a bit more involved. We got to practice our drawing and scissor skills, th

We all know what it's like to feel out of balance. We might snap more quickly than usual, a 10 minute task can take an hour or we may walk into a room and look around wondering what we came for... No one enjoys feeling out of balance - our children included. What if we could work with our child's sensory needs to help them feel more in balance? Sensory development from 0 to 7 Steiner explained that each of the 12 senses and it’s development is associated with a particular lif

Winter solstice is a special time of year. In the Southern Hemisphere the path of the sun is farthest north and provides the shortest amount of day light; making the solstice the shortest day of the year. In Australia this occurs around June 21, and in the Northern Hemisphere it falls near December 22. This day is celebrated in many cultures and is often seen as a time for rebirth. Steiner spoke to the way in which humans from earlier times lived in harmony with the seasons.

This post is one part of a series on how to incorporate 5 aspects of the Steiner kindergarten program into your Waldorf home. Today we will focus on the art of storytelling. For an overview of the 5 aspects, click here . What is storytelling in Waldorf Education and why is it important? I have very fond memories of story time in my kindergarten years. Eyeing off the story table each morning to see which objects had appeared overnight and what hints they held for today's story

This post is one part of a series on how to incorporate 5 aspects of the Steiner kindergarten program into your Waldorf home. Today we will focus on the element of song and verse. For an overview of the 5 aspects, click here . Singing with your baby or toddler can have a profound impact on language development. When my son was first learning to speak I noticed that many of his first words came out of songs or nursery rhymes which I had sung to him. Song and verse benefit lang

The Morning Circle is the first formal activity of the day in a Steiner kindergarten program. It is a sequence of verse and/or song accompanied by actions. The activity is led by the teacher and gestures are copied by the children. The same morning circle is repeated every day for 3 weeks and by the end of the 3 weeks most children will be able to recite the verse and complete all actions. The Morning Circle can be used daily in the home environment to bring attention to the

Step-by-step instructions | Toddler friendly I have such fond childhood memories of Easter. The smell of hot cross buns baking in the oven, painting and dying eggs, creating Easter baskets and, of course, the Easter Egg Hunt. First thing on Easter Sunday morning we would rush outside to see where the eggs had been hidden; filling our baskets to the brim and pushing each other out of the way. Creating Easter baskets became a yearly tradition and it is something which I plan to

Rhythm and routine form a big part of the Waldorf early years education. Rhythms can happen on a daily basis; taking your shoes off when you come inside, saying morning verse at the start of each day and sitting down together to eat morning tea. Rhythms can also occur on a weekly rotation; baking bread on Monday, painting on Tuesday, handwork on Wednesday and so on. Seasonal rituals add another layer again and can help to give the child a sense of the changing seasons, encour