THE WALDORF WAY: PLAYGROUP

Every Wednesday morning for the past 10 weeks, Everly and I have been a part of a special little community, a Waldorf playgroup. A Waldorf playgroup follows a gentle rhythm of in and out, of indoor and outdoor play, focused activities and free play, where the children are guided through transitions by familiar songs and rituals. It has been a lovely journey for the both of us, being our first structured mums 'n bubs type activity. Last week was the final session for the year, so I took along my camera to capture our morning...

The morning starts with a warm welcome and inside free play. Baskets and shelves full of wonderful things to spark the imagination are available to explore - wooden tree blocks, pinecones and shells, tiny felt gnomes and knitted animals, coloured play cloths and handmade Waldorf dolls. Everly always gravitates to a small bookshelf filled with tiny teacups, little woven baskets, silver spoons and a miniature cookset.

Then it's time for morning tea. Hands are washed in warm water and lavender oil before sitting at the table. The children hold hands, a candle is lit and a blessing is sung. Then they tuck into their little bowls of cut fruit. (Being the final week, morning tea was instead shared on plates outside.)

 


Next is the part that Everly looks forward to the most - bread dough! She dons her apron and sits eagerly at the table. Flour is sprinkled for each child ('Sunbeams are falling for Everly...'), the dough (already prepared earlier by playgroup leader, Lila) is tipped out the bowl and kneaded, then small balls of dough are rolled along the table ('Pass it along, pass it along, pass it along the table...') until each child has their own piece to work with (this requires a lot of patience on Everly's behalf!).

We sing as the children knead and pound the dough ('Look at the baker, what is she doing? Kneading dough, she's kneading dough...'). We help them form it into whatever they wish - perhaps a snake or a flower or a plait, and then carefully place them on floured trays to be baked in the oven.

Here is proof Everly loves playing with the bread dough. (And also proof [can you spot the flour around her mouth?] of her other favourite past-time - eating the raw dough!)

While the bread bakes, the children play outside. They say hello to Steve the turtle in the pond, run around on the grass, and play with the spades, saucepans, teapots and spoons in the sandpit. Soon it's time to come inside for story-time - a simple story, told using handmade puppets and props - followed by songs and finger rhymes.

By this point the room is filled with the delicious smell of warm bread. Children clamber onto chairs as bread rolls are sliced in half and spread with lashings of butter. Suddenly it is silent as they all happily devour their bread, their very own creations.

It has been an absolute delight to watch Everly settle in to playgroup over the last couple of months. Finding her place there - slowly, slowly, a little more each week. Learning how to interact with the other children. Making new friends. Following the rhythm. Trying new things. Growing as a little person. I think myself extremely lucky to have found this group - the perfect environment for Everly to play and learn, and such lovely Mums whom I have been so blessed to form friendships with. Needless to say both Everly and I are looking forward to Term 1 next year!

A big thank you to Lila, Tori, Abby and Danni for allowing me to capture this special moment in time for my family, and for allowing me to photograph your gorgeous children! 

A NEW LITTLE FRIEND

This afternoon, when she woke from her nap, Everly discovered a tiny root baby waiting for her in the kitchen, surrounded by flowers picked from our garden. She immediately tucked it between her cheek and neck for a 'cuddle' and then climbed into my lap to inspect it more closely, turning it over in her hands, and softly touching the fibres of the miniature crocheted hat.

I then showed her the other surprise, the My First Root Children book by Sibylle von Olfers (a simplified board book version of the classic Story of the Root Children). She listened eagerly as I read the story to her for the very first time - a wonderful tale of Mother Nature and the small root children who sleep underground in Winter and come out to play in Spring.

She asked to read it again, and again, until we had read it from front to back six times over.

When we went out in the afternoon to run some errands, Everly clutched her new little friend tightly to her chest for the entire car trip, and continued to hold her for most of the trolley ride at the shopping centre, too. I think it's safe to say she likes her.

I made this little root baby on Saturday afternoon at a darling little shop in the Adelaide hills, under the expert guidance of local Waldorf dollmaker, Heidi Thickins. 

IN THE GARDEN

Little E is her happiest when in the garden. She loves to dig around in the pot plants, make dirt soup with her spoon and saucepan, carry around papers and egg cartons from the recycling box, and chase Billy around the yard.

It once was the place we escaped to when we were both frustrated and needed some air, but it's quickly become a regular morning and afternoon activity. The Waldorf/Steiner way of living makes so much sense to me now -- the in-breath and the out-breath, a gentle rhythm to the day. In and out, in and out. Our days go much more smoothly when I incorporate two chunks of free play outside. When it's raining, and we're cooped up in the house, we both clearly suffer from it. Next winter I will be buying myself and Everly a spray jacket and some gumboots - so we can both drink in the wild air every day, rain or shine.

These photos were taken last week in the early evening light when she woke from her big afternoon sleep, still dressed in her nice clothes from a morning playdate with a friend. She was having so much fun, I didn't want to disturb her. (Enjoy this moment, clothes can always be washed...) My gorgeous girl with her intense, frowning, 'I'm concentrating' face (just like her Mama), her long sweeping fringe, and those curls! (Excuse the yucky runny nose, she was teething.)