The active nature of young children impels them towards participation and imitation.
A child will learn skills more effectively if he/she has plenty of time and oppor-tunity to develop socially, emotionally and physically first in a creative, secure, enabling and harmonious environment.

The foundation skills in literacy and numeracy are laid through an environment rich in hands-on activity and play and where language and communication are enabled through a rich oral tradition.

The Waldorf preschool program offers a peaceful environment with caring teachers, engaging activities and ample time for play, both indoors and outdoors.

“Play is the work of children” Rudolf Steiner

Childhood is a most precious resource, and yet, in this day and age it is rare that an educational program allows children to be children. The Waldorf preschool program is designed to support the healthy development of young children by:

• Building strength, perseverance and good habits
• Developing social awareness and sensitivity
• Awakening a life-long enthusiasm for learning and for work

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The day includes a period of free play alongside a particular activity such as painting, drawing, sewing or handcraft. The morning flows with regular and repetitive activities which include songs and rhythmical verses, music and movement. A snack, prepared by teachers and children is shared together around the table where the mood is relaxed and social. Other activities include cooking, baking, cleaning and care for oneself and others.

In Preschool and Kindergarten learning is based on the principle of imitation with the educator acting as a role model and the child learning through observation and imitation. So instead of “teaching a child” how to sew with a needle, an educator will sew and the child is invited to join in if he feels like it. If the child wishes to engage in the activity, he is offered needle, thread and a piece of cloth and is encouraged to do as the teacher does without being instructed, but as a consequence of his of own will and ability to observe and imitate.

The centrepiece of preschool is creative or free play, as this supports learning through the social interaction amongst other children and allows creativity or fantasy to evolve and develop freely.

The day follows a rhythm, alternating child-led time with teacher-led activities. The rhythm gives children a sense of safety, well-being, stability, consistency and communicates reliability whilst helping them to orientate themselves in time and space through the repetition of activities, food, songs, etc.
E.g. The teacher may say, “today is rice-day,” and the children know that on “rice-day” the class goes to the woods, because every week on Mondays the class eats rice and goes to the woods.

There are three types of rhythms the Kindergarten is structured around: the rhythm of the day, the rhythm of the week and the rhythm of the year.

The rhythm of the day is structured in such a way that it follows the principle of breathing and, in fact, supports the in-and-outbreath of the child.

The weekly rhythm is different and is worked out at the beginning of the school year by the educators of each group, but it repeats itself each week
E.g.

The rhythm of the year is centred around Christian celebrations like
St. Michaels, Christmas, Easter, St. John Baptist fest, etc.
            
The children will learn to problem solve,

A strong tradition of oral storytelling and puppetry is a part of the morning.

Also every day the children will be allowed ample time in the playground to experience the outdoors.

Festivals, seasonal and cultural events are celebrated throughout the year and parents are invited to participate actively in the preparation leading up to events, by helping with the running, tidying up and cleaning afterwards. This helps cultivate a sense of community amongst the parents, strengthens the link between parents and teachers and supports the children as parents take part in the “life” of the child or children by participating and being present.

Very careful consideration is also given to the impact of everything in the classroom environment upon all the senses of a young child.

The colours used both on walls and fabric, are soft pastel. Furniture and toys are made of natural materials like beeswax crayons and sheep’s fleece.

All “play-materials” are natural and instead of being “prefabricated toys” are elements found in nature.
E.g. stones, pieces of wood, roots from a tree, branches, chestnuts, etc. which have been sanded and polished or made soft.

The reason for this is that “natural play materials” stimulate the creativity and fantasy of the child. For a slice of a tree-trunk to the child can be the steering-wheel of a car and in the next moment it becomes a plate to eat imaginative food from.

In all, it is a setting that reassures children because it is much more like a home than an institution. Each room has a kitchen where teachers prepare meals. This gives each room a “homey” feeling.

The playground, which is also built of natural materials, offers children the opportunity to connect with nature, engage in robust physical activities, and to experience the joys and wonders of the changing seasons. Moreover, children also take a walk to the nearby forest once a week.