"Childhood is measured out by sounds

and smells and sights"

~John Betjman

 

Waldorf education sees the young child as a sense organ, by living, breathing, taking in, and imitating all that is around them. What the child wants is to actively engage in his or her environment, coming into contact with the world and all that is truthful in the world.

 

At Hummingbird Schoolhouse, the opportunity to experience this truth can be experienced through the practical and meaningful activities that we do together, such as tidying up our play space, setting the table, preparing snack, washing our own dishes after snack, taking care of the garden, and completing our special individual job each day. Being immersed in a rich sensory environment, surrounded by nature and natural materials, the children can experience different weights, textures, and shapes. Open ended toys provide an opportunity for creativity and imagination to flourish. Pinecones, stones, crystals, and silks are used to create a set-up or scene to tell a story. Wood blocks become a fire engine, hospital or skate park. Forts and restaurants are created and customers arrive. Outside children create mud pies, engineer tunnels through the sand, dig for worms, and marvel at snails. Real working tools are used to dig and rake leaves. Acting out stories, puppet plays, and our seasonal circle with movement and songs, brings life and imagination to the class.

 

Through our nurturing environment, the children are given the space and time to play and are not subject only to their immediate environment but are capable of moving beyond what is physically present, thus creating something new, opening up to possibilities, changing life, and discovering solutions. We see the joy and delight in the children as they create, sing, and share in their discoveries

with friends.