8 Elements of Waldorf Education I Love

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When we moved to the Seacoast from the UK last year, we spent a lot of time and effort looking at childcare options for our then 4 year-old. Needless to say, we were pretty late to the party! One of the schools we stumbled upon that actually had a space was the Seacoast Waldorf School. I’ll admit that I had never heard of Waldorf as an educational philosophy when we toured the school, but nonetheless were struck (even over some pretty grainy video calls) just how interested the staff and teachers were in our family and child.

We enrolled Ada in their mixed age kindergarten class (4-6 year olds) in September 2023, and since then her younger sister Cora has joined the nursery (they take children from 2 years 9 months in age). The past year has been both an education for us as parents, and a journey to a different perspective on schooling, parenting and family life. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of the essential elements of a Waldorf education, and some of our personal experiences of them.

1. Love and Warmth

This radiates from every detail and interaction, from the lovingly put together start of school goody bag to the handwritten signs in the bathroom, and the big hugs the teachers greet children with. The teachers are the foundation of what makes a Waldorf education so special, because they possess a deep respect for the child as an individual instead of an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge. Alison Petersen, the Admissions Coordinator at the school, says:

“We concentrate on life skills for children and also work hard on the social aspects of childhood. How to be with each other. I view Waldorf as a social education.”

2. Care for the Environment and Nourishment of the Senses

There is just something so soothing about the classrooms. Pale pink walls and ambient lighting; light peeks through the softly draped windows while wooden, woollen, and natural material toys sit on accessible shelving. There are no garish colors or ‘educational’ posters, just beautiful handmade artwork and fresh flowers on the table. Even the smell — toasted oats and hints of lavender — makes you feel instantly calm and at home.

The day starts and ends outside in nature, whatever the weather! You can even see the older kids in the grades walking, running, skipping around the school building before morning class starts. It really offers a great way to get the body ready to learn.

3. A Creative, Artistic Experience

It’s a common misconception that Waldorf education pushes the arts above the sciences and academics. You don’t need to be a budding artist to enjoy a creative education! Yes, there are music classes, singing from day one, movement, and painting, but I love the way that essential concepts such as letters are introduced to the children through artistry and stories. During one parents evening we were invited to try the ‘wet on wet’ watercolor painting the children do weekly in class. It was harder than it looked! It was unpredictable, requiring us to slow down in pace — and the results were unexpected when they dried. 

4. Meaningful Adult Activity as an Example for Child Imitation

“Bye mum I have work to do” is a phrase my daughter often says to me at drop off. That’s because all children are actively involved in all aspects of school life: raking leaves, shoveling snow, chopping vegetables, folding laundry, laying the table, and pouring water for their classmates. The teachers have endless patience and allow the children space to learn through imitation — in a way that is definitely beyond me!

5. Free, Imaginative Play

“Play is the work of childhood.” Apparently it was the creator of Mr Rogers who said that, but the old adage rings true. One of the things I immediately noticed about the early childhood classrooms was just how open-ended all the toys were: simple square silks, wooden blocks, plain cars, knitted animals. When discussing the seemingly plain handmade dolls with a Waldorf teacher, she explained to me that keeping them deliberately ‘ugly’ allowed the children to more easily project their own imagination onto the toys.

6. Protecting Childhood

It feels like children are growing up faster than ever, and I truly appreciate the ways that Waldorf education tries hard to preserve the sanctity of childhood — allowing them the freedom to play, create, and develop their social skills without the intrusive thoughts of the adult world. Literacy is deliberately saved for when the children are around 7 years old, when their brains and bodies are ready for the concentration required to take on academic work.

“It is giving them a chance to just be children without the pressure, allowing children to come to it on their own.  Not completely of course, but leading them to it so they often discover it on their own.  This can foster a lifelong love of reading and learning. I’ve seen it in action again and again.  Anecdotally, Waldorf children are great critical thinkers that can think outside the box and love to learn.” – Alison Petersen

7. Gratitude, Reverence, and Wonder

One of the ways I love how this is brought to life is through the celebration of festivals and birthdays throughout the school year. The school’s focus is on inclusive celebration based on the changing seasons rather than religious or Hallmark holidays. The Winter spiral is the replacement for a traditional nativity or Christmas performance: parents sit in silence in a darkened room, listening for a song sung by a single voice as a candle is lit in the center of a spiral of evergreen boughs. Each child in turn takes a candle into the center of that spiral and lights it, then places the candle in an apple along the path. There are no cameras, phones, or applause; just space for reverence and reflection. I found myself reflecting on the journey my daughter had been on from a tiny babe to this walking, talking person and will admit to getting a little teary.

8. Rhythm and Routine

There is a reason the weekly lunch menu stays the same throughout the year — so children know what to expect! It removes a small but important element of uncertainty to the day. There is a rhythm to the daily activity (Tuesdays – watercolor painting, Wednesdays – bread making, Thursdays – crayon drawing) but it just makes you realize that children don’t need endless novelty and excitement. The reassurance and predictability of the familiar gives them the scope to be brave or try new things in the spaces in between. 

If reading this has sparked your interest in considering a Waldorf education for your children, I cannot recommend the Lighthouse program highly enough! It is their parent-child class offering, and a great way to try out the school. Every Friday morning caregivers and their youngsters (Ages 22 months to 3 ½ years old) gather for outdoor and indoor play in one of the school’s nursery classrooms. After some play, a simple snack and tea is served followed by a walk. I attended throughout the year with Cora and it made her transition into full days of nursery so smooth. 

Seacoast Waldorf School is a Waldorf school in Eliot, Maine welcoming children from Early childhood through parent/child classes, nursery and kindergarten all the way through to 8th grade. 

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