The Online Curriculum Project - Early Childhood
updated December 27, 2020

I believe more than anything that every little new being on this planet deserves the most wonderful childhood a parent can possibly offer. Those early years are the most important investment we, as parents, can make in our children's future health, happiness, and success.

Throughout my website I document my journey in learning about Waldorf and trying to teach in in a Waldorf-inspired manner. I also recommend, based on my personal experience, great books... books that would be a wonderful addition to your curriculum library. But I realize that not everyone has easy access to these books. This is particularly true of some of my international clients.

So my newest project is collecting as many online resources as possible and putting the links all in one place. While not a substitute for visiting a Waldorf school and seeing the method in action, I hope this is helpful!


Background on the Waldorf Method

Why Waldorf Works: The Waldorf Curriculum (AWSNA)

The Laws of Childhood article (The Online Waldorf Library)

Waldorf World List

First Steps Towards Founding a Waldorf Initiative - Questions and Answers
by Waldorf Worldwide

Wellsprings of the Spirit
by Gary Lamb

Many writings by Rudolf Steiner are available online for free; check the Online Waldorf Library and the Rudolf Steiner Archive. Here are just a few:


Here is my blog post with the FREE links to all 25 of the volumes in the Foundations of Waldorf Education series!


General Curriculum Resources - Early Childhood

The Waldorf Clearing House Newsletter devoted an entire issue to the curriculum for preschool:


Resources for verses
(there are many blog posts written by Waldorf teachers & families who are sharing their favorites):


Entire Waldorf Clearing House Newsletter Archive


Books available to download as free PDFs from the Online Waldorf Library:


Photographs

I work hard putting together collections of great images from Waldorf schools and homeschools around the world. I do recommend Pinterest (setting up an account is free) as an invaluable tool for finding and organizing thousands of inspirational ideas!


Stories

Books available to download as free PDFs from the Online Waldorf Library:


IMPORTANT

The Great Pause -- A Tale for Young Children
by Elizabeth Emmett

a free, non-scary, and appropriate tale you can tell your young child to bring a sense of safety and reassurance around social distancing


Stories shared by Therapeutic Storyteller Susan Perrow:


Sign up for the early childhood newsletter from Suzanne Down of Juniper Tree School of Puppetry Arts! This free monthly email newsletter always contains a gentle seasonal story and puppetry suggestions. Here are links to some past issues (from my collection):


You may also enjoy reading Suzanne's guest blog posts at The Wonder of Childhood.


Books for the Kindergarten from The Baldwin Project:


Curriculum / Activities

My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
blog post with four wonderful Winter play dough recipes!

Living Curriculum Program from Celebrate the Rhythm of Life (Lisa Boisvert Mackenzie)
more than just an early childhood curriculum, this wonderful monthly program focuses on inner work on the part of the parent and setting up a warm, rhythmical, loving home environment


Books available to download as free PDFs from the Online Waldorf Library:


Looking for help with Circle Time? Here are some complete Waldorf circles available online in PDF form:


These are NOT free but Barbara Dewey, longtime Waldorf homeschool consultant at Waldorf Without Walls now sells all of her curriculum books as PDFs. For Early Childhood, I suggest

Also NOT free is the Waldorf teacher training available online; however, it is fantastic that this is now available. Here are a few great options for online training and information:


Free Patterns for Toys

Stockmar Online Art Manuals & Free Patterns for Toymaking

Blog posts by Rhythm & Rhyme


Storytelling / Puppetry in Waldorf Early Childhood

I cannot do better than to share my notes from several workshops I've taken with Suzanne Down, the master at Waldorf storytelling and therapeutic puppetry in early childhood, to help you picture what Storytelling and Puppetry look like in action in a Waldorf classroom.

My notes include my initial experiences with needle felting, and step by step instructions for creating several puppets, as well as how to tell the stories.


I went from this experience with Suzanne Down to her week long puppetry workshop July 8 - 12, 2009: "The Sense of Touch and Warmth: Puppetry as Bridge for these Foundations for Life" at the Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten; Boulder CO (which I drove to from Maryland, I was so excited to work with her) and those notes are in the blog in several posts. Please visit the links below.

This is where I learned how to make a rod puppet. Our focus was on the Mother archetype:


Morning Verse for
Preschool & Kindergarten

from the Oak Meadow Preschool Package


(start by bending over touching your toes)

I w-a-ke in the morning

I stre-e-e-tch to the light
(slowly stand up and reach tall with your arms extended above you)

I JUMP (jump, keeping your arms up high) to the Sun

I am ready to start my day
(bring your arms down to your sides)


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