Waldorf education is less about what you have and much more about who you are. The foundation of Waldorf is spirituality and connection to nature. Rudolf Steiner said, "Receive the children in reverence, educate them in love and send them forth in freedom."
For most Waldorf mamas, we're insanely attracted to all the wooden toys, colorful silks, fresh breads, and felted toys. It's tempting to want to buy all the Waldorfy things you find on Pinterest and Etsy, but that's the exact opposite of what you should do! Waldorf education inspires kids to be creators, not consumers so when you find yourself wanting to buy something, first ask yourself, "Is this something I could make with, or for, my child?"
When I'm asked what I consider a "must" for the homeschooling family, my list is short.
Stockmar Block Crayons These crayons take a bit of getting used to, but once you do- you'll never turn back. Use these for documenting learning, illustrations, form drawing, making lines for writing on blank paper, and art. Block crayon drawing tutorials can be found on YouTube so don't fret! They're great for building hand strength and practicing control, but they truly shine when it comes to blending and creating those beautiful ethereal images we all know and love.
Modeling Beeswax Modeling with beeswax is a fabulous addition to the handwork you model, and do, with your child. Natural materials like beeswax are enlivened in a way no plastic toy can be for a child. Warm the beeswax in your hand and create plants, animals, nature scenes, or magical creatures from the spirit realm! Modeling with beeswax speaks to the soul (feeling), strengthens the hands for handwriting (doing) and develops the will!
Form Drawing Book Form Drawing is one of those areas I see many Waldorf homeschoolers skimp on or ignore altogether and in my opinion its one of the most essential aspects that should be done daily in one form or another (pun intended!). In my class, we used basic form drawing as a part of handwriting practice by practicing fluid lines, king line and queen curve in letter formation, but then we began adding more complex patterns in our borders and eventually the students graduated to freehand form drawing focusing on symmetry and balance. Utilize YouTube for form drawing storytelling and lessons, but this book is a MUST HAVE!
Play Silks I love Sarah's Silks created by a former Waldorf kindergarten teacher who now has a YouTube channel, thriving toy store, and a plethora of silk toys and accessories. I love Play Silks for nature tables, dress-up, small world play, festivals and mood setting. My boys are eight years old and they STILL use the play silks we've bought and made over the years. Play silks can also be draped over the TV or computer screen as needed, LOL!
Waldorf Playstand This is expensive, and not necessarily an essential, but if it's in your budget- you won't regret it! This is another one of those things I invested in when my boys were little and I just cannot seem to part with it. This play stand has been a bookcase, a bank, a store, a post office, the set of a play, cobbler's workshop, farmer's market, fort, firehouse and so much more! Even now, my boys will add a giant silk and crawl under to read a book, play with Legos or small world play.
If you're new to Waldorf-inspired education, don't hesitate to reach out with questions. I'll be posting members only content for my homeschool mamas/papas throughout the ; however, I'm also offering private parent coaching should you be interested in learning how YOU can start incorporating Waldorfy methods into your homeschool routine. Be well, Chelsea