Back To School - The Waldorf Way

Back To School - The Waldorf Way

"Waldorf education is not a pedagogical system but an art - the art of awakening what is actually there within the human being." ~ Rudolf Steiner

That time of year is sneaking up quickly. The time for all of us to begin our back to school preparations. Whether your children go to school outside the home or they learn with you in a homeschool setting, it takes quite a bit of forethought to prepare for a school year. Today we share with you some of our favorite Waldorf educational supplies, as well as information about the different ages of school children and what is important to each in a Waldorf setting. 

Shop Bella Luna Toy's Back To School Collection

Early Childhood

When children are very young, the goal of Waldorf early childhood learning is to provide sensory-rich spaces filled with open-ended and dynamic play-based activities. The toys, space, and objects for this age range should encourage young children to investigate the wonder of nature, explore relationships, and stretch their imaginations. Fostering a sense of place within the family and the season forms the foundation of this stage in development. Part of the rhythms during this early stage are developed through stories, simple verses, and songs. The beautiful and meaningful learning toys in this section nourish a young child’s senses and will encourage very young children to identify colors, stack, sort, fill, shape, and look closely at the world around them. All of these products can be used for many years of play.

A rattan shelf with low bolga baskets on the bottom shelf and multiple waldorf toys and learning materials on the top shelf. A green playsilk hangs in the background

Kindergarten

As children progress to kindergarten, many of the same rhythms from early childhood continue to play a pivotal and revered part of learning and they can be gently expanded upon through play. At this age, children become even more immersed in art projects and more detailed storytelling using fairy tales as the spark. Through watercolor projects, beeswax modeling, and music, children interact with stories and nature. They also learn to bake, garden, woodwork, sew, take care of their space, and learn more about the calendar and the festivals of the season. Nature explorations and open-ended adventures guide this time of expansive imagination and creative thinking to develop a reverence for the world around them.

A child with dark, long hair sits at a wooden table coloring with a beeswax crayon. Hanging on the front of the table are waldorf letter cards of the letters A-D. On the table next to the paper there is a crayon roll

Grade School

As children get older, they continue to learn about the rhythms of the world around them as they begin to explore numbers and math skills. They engage and enliven their senses through artistic projects that require elaborate steps and tactile experiences. Knitting projects develop dexterity, patience, spatial relationships, and math while storytelling comes alive through the sharing of fairy tales and fables, mythological sagas, and riveting biographies of historical figures. At this age, rhythmic movement, art, and drama are woven into daily lessons that engage with student’s heads, hearts, and hands bringing each subject to life for the child.

A child plays with colorful blocks marked with numbers. The blocks form a hundred frame

Back To School Shopping Guide

Early Childhood

Back to school shopping guide for early childhood in a waldorf manner

7 Rainbow Peg Dolls in Bowls 

Wooden Rainbow Bowls Sorting Game 

Around The Year Book 

Set of Four Seasons Board Books 

Beeswax Block Crayons 

Eco-Dough Natural Play Dough

Natural Play Dough Pattern Rolling Kit 

Wooden Seasonal Wheel 

Wooden Magnifying Glass 

Playsilks

Mindful Week Poster 

Kindergarten

Back to school product shopping guide for waldorf kindergarten 

Wooden Perpetual Calendar with Peg Figures 

Waldorf Wooden Teaching Clock 

Waldorf Wooden Math Wheel

Wooden Number Coins Set 

Organic Beeswax Stick Crayons

Waldorf Alphabet Letter Cards 

Waldorf Number Math Cards 

Best Loved Folktales of the World 

Nins In The Woods Storytelling Set 

Curved Pentatonic Glockenspiel

Grade School

Back to school product guide for waldorf grade school 

Grimm’s Counting With Colors

The Wonders of Nature Book

Stepped Counting Blocks

Grapat Mandala Snowflakes

Modeling Beeswax

Stockmar Watercolor Paint

 A Year And A Day Magazine

See our full Back To School Collection here.

We hope this helps guide your back to school shopping and give some clarity on best products for different aged students. Share with us any questions you have or your back to school preparations on Instagram @bellalunatoys and don't forget to use our hashtag #bellalunatoys. Let's all take a collective deep breath and head into this new school year with a positive spirit!


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