Spring In A Waldorf Classroom with Wondergarten Early Childhood

Spring In A Waldorf Classroom with Wondergarten Early Childhood

When we discovered the warm and inviting classroom of Lisa and Nathaniel Santa Cruz, we instantly fell in love. Wondergarten is a Waldorf-inspired in-home preschool that seeks to enrich the lives of children with goodness & beauty.

At Bella Luna Toys, one of our missions has always been to share the beauty of Waldorf education. The rare glimpse into the classroom that Lisa & Nathaniel share each day on Instagram does just that, and in such a lovely way. Let's take a journey through their day!

Wondergarten Early Childhood Program classroom

Morning Playtime

When children first arrive at Wondergarten, they have the option of playing with a variety of natural toys, play dough, beeswax crayons, blocks, books, and other essential Waldorf toys. According to Lisa, “Morning playtime is an essential part of our program, as it provides children with the opportunity to develop their imaginations, relationships, and problem-solving skills through creative, free play.”

After a morning of playtime, the children transition by cleaning up and preparing for the daily ritual of circle time by singing Ring around the Rosie.

Child playing with Grimm's wooden bridges, Magic Wood branch blocks and Grimm's rainbows

Circle Time

In Waldorf schools, circle time is a special time to celebrate the season with stories, songs, and creative movement. Each school puts their own spin on this special time and at Wondergarten, they add piano and guitar and dancing as they introduce their story of the week. After this joyful movement and song, the children transition to lesson time.

Lesson Time

The main lesson of the day typically fits one of three rotating activities; life skills, baking, or creative arts. According to Lisa, “lesson time and the development of life skills help children feel a sense of belonging, responsibility, and accomplishment as they contribute to various life-based activities.” From baking bread to wet on wet painting, each activity is directly tied to the season and helps foster community.

Lisa of Wondergarten Early Childhood Program helping a studen roll dough in the waldorf classroom

Snack Time

After cleaning up together and preparing the table, the children gather for snack time, which according to Lisa “is a delicious and nourishing part of our day.” As they eat, Nathaniel’s “Gnomes of Wondergarten” stories are told aloud, accompanied by engaging visuals and puppetry. As children finish their snacks, they wash and dry their dishes, put them back on the shelf, and get ready to go outside.

Outdoor Playtime

“Outdoor playtime is a highlight of our day, and we spend at least an hour outside each day, rain or shine, to build resilient bodies and a strong connection to the natural world.” Once outside, children play and work in the garden, run and play in the field, create muddy and treasure-filled concoctions in the mud kitchen, and love “collecting buckets of water and dumping them into ditches they've dug in the playscape to create lakes and rivers.” Wondergarten has even created a track where children can ride trikes “in little caravans, playing out stories of trains and fire trucks.”

Young child crouching in garden in a green wool jacket with pointed gnome style hood, digging in the dirt with a child sized shovel as part of outdoor playtime during a waldorf school day

After a full day of play, nourishing food, fresh air, and gentle learning parents pick up their children from outside, and the day comes to a close. We are so glad to see Wondergarten open up their beautiful enviornment to share more about Waldorf education with the public. It is a beautifully peaceful way for children to learn and grow. To see more, follow Wondergarten on Instagram @wondergarten_earlychildhood or visit their website here: Wondergarten.net

At Bella Luna Toys, we love to share the wonder of Waldorf education and how it can be incorporated into play. We are so thrilled to watch Wondergarten flourish and share their knowledge of Waldorf learning with a wide audience. Follow along as we share more on Instagram @bellalunatoys and don't forget to share your play and childhood magic using the hashtag #bellalunatoys. 


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