5 Waldorf activities at home for 1-4 years old

Although we knew the benefits of Waldorf pedagogy, the school fees for these nurseries or kindergartens are rather expensive here in Malaysia and their availability is scarce (especially in Serdang and Seri Kembangan, Selangor). It costs us around RM600-800 to send a kid to a Waldorf nursery (from 9am to 1 pm) while it only cost us RM200-RM400 to send a kid to an ordinary nursery (7.30am to 12.30pm).

After quitting my elder girl, JY from QDees for 6 months due to her sinus development after attending the nursery for 3 months (she started with flu and nose allergy and eventually developed into sinus), I resent her to another nursery (Tadika Kristal Cahaya in Seri Kembangan) nearby our house which was less crowded. It was an 'ordinary' nursery applying 'ordinary' teaching pedagogy which including learning ABC the traditional way.

I thought we may be able to conduct Waldorf activities at home aside from sending the kids to an ordinary school. Hence, I let the kids play with these so called Waldorf related activities whenever it is possible at home.

1. Water Play

Water play at backyard

As usual, children love water play. I just filled some pails with water at our backyard and leave them to play. My kids will normally play by themselves for 1/2 hour to 1 hour before they get wet and ready to take a bath. Water play was one of the sensory play which improve touching senses development. There is no limitation on how to play but rather let the children play creatively while enjoying the water. 

2. Sand play 

Sand play at back yard 

My aunt had bought my kids a bag of kinetic sand with some molds and I have put them into a tray and let them play with it whenever they like. I know I should not be using plastic materials or toys for Waldorf pedagogy but I don't want to waste those old toys that the children already have. They have used the sand to make ice creams (mold them with a milk powder scoop and put into a cup). They have also made birthday cake and we lid candle and poked it into the cake, singing birthday song, blowing the candles off before they cut the cakes and dividing them. It was another open ended games/ toys that is cheap and beneficial to the kids.   

My kids enjoyed making birthday cakes with kinetic sand

3. Scooping 

Scooping exercise

I place a tray at one corner in the kitchen and put some containers and scoops (changing the containers and type of spoons/ scoops from time to time) with rice or beans and leave it to the children. They enjoyed scooping the rice or bean from one container to another. Sometimes my elder kid who was 3 years old, would make a shaker by filling a bottle with some rice or beans. Sometimes she just enjoyed filling up a bottle (narrow opening) with the bean by pouring, using a tong or her little fingers. Recently, my 1.5 years old JL also starts pretending that she is making her milk by scooping rice in a bottles and shaking it. I think this is an easy way to train your child's motor skills. There are so many benefits of sensory play that Waldorf had associated with. It says that it will lead to proper touching senses development which eventually improving the brain synapses (making your child smarter?).  

4. Painting and palm printing 

Water color painting on a wet paper

Palm printing. I think young kids prefer palm printing than painting as they haven't master the skill of painting.

I am not an artist but I believe that children should be exposed to producing some art work from small to sharpen their senses on art as well as giving them experience in producing some art works. I learned about "wet painting" (I am not sure of the right terminology to use) which most Waldorf school like to do when I attended the Kolisko Conference in Serdang earlier this year.

How to draw wet painting (easy painting for young children)

Materials:
1. Some thick drawing paper (here I am using 80 lbs paper as a thin paper will break easily in creating wet painting)
2. Drawing board (here I am using a box cover made with plastic)
3. Water color (I use Buncho red, yellow and blue color poster color as they are cheap and widely available) with containers to keep them (I am using the chicken essence containers)
4. Brush (preferable a thick brush) but I just use whatever I have at home here
5. Sponge
6. Cloth (for drying the brush and cleaning the mess)
7. Water container to clean the brush

Method:

1. On a piece of thick drawing paper, use sponge to wet both side and put it on a drawing board.

2. Squeeze some water color (blue, red, yellow for a start) in a jar (here I am using Buncho, a cheap poster color material widely available in Malaysia). I diluted some color materials in a chicken essence containers with cover and put it in the chiller. I normally keep the remaining colors in the refrigerator and use them whenever the children wants to paint.

3. By using a thick brush, let the child expose on how color spread when applied on paper. Teach the child to wash and dry the brush before using another color.

Remember that the key is not to produce a master piece but to experience drawing and have fun with it. You may start teaching about color and how color changes when mixing when the child is ready.

wet painting

wet painting outcome

Showing one of the outcome of wet painting . Easy to create and yet beautiful looking. The workshop in Kolisko Conference had taught me how painting could bring in the inner peace and releasing your tension (art therapy). Adults could paint together with children for self benefits too. 

5. Baking

My previous job taught me about baking science which benefits me for life. I have bought a book entitled "500 Baby & Toddler Foods" written by Beverley Glock and found the recipes were simple to follow and the outcome were very good. So far, I have tried making sweet buns, thumbprint cookies (which I think was a good one to start with young kids), apple crumbles and banana muffins.

How to make thumbprint cookies - adapted and modified from "500 Baby & Toddler Foods"
(Like what the recipe booked mentioned, I think this is a good recipe for older toddlers to help with).

Materials: 
225g self raising flour
100 g cold butter (cut into small cubes)
75 g sugar
1 egg (beat it)
2 table spoon milk (I think you can make milk using the children milk powder too)
 raspberry jam (I am using black current jam which I have)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (I have added this when I made this second times)
handfull of dried cranberry(I have added this when I made this second times)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degree C. Grease a baking tray (or lay baking tray with parchment/ baking paper)
2. Place flour and butter in a bowl and rub in the butter (add more flour if necessary) until the mixture resembles breadcrumb
3. Stir in the sugar. (Add the lemon zest and dried cranberry if you want to). Add in the egg, adding milk slowly while mixing with your hands until you have a soft dough. Add milk if the dough is too dry.
4. Put teaspoonfls of the mixture on the tray (you will get around 12 biscuits). Flatten the top gently and make an indentation with your finger in the centre.
5. Place a little jam into the indentation. Bake 15-20 min until golden brown.

The cookies is crispy outside and soft inside. I think the lemon zest gave it a kick which I love! It is very similar to a scone.

So what else can we do with the young children as easy Waldorf activities at home besides these? I would love to hear from mothers and teachers out there!