I have exciting news today… I’m happy to announce that I am bringing back the Discovering Waldorf Education series. So many of you have requested its return as it gave us all such a beautiful, every-day, insight into the Waldorf way. The Discovering Waldorf series is a compilation of articles about the Waldorf way of […]
The 'My Nest' series took a bit of a break for a while but it is back..... So...today on Moon to Moon I am extremely excited and happy to ...
Nicole, from Frontier Dreams, was kind enough to share her families daily rhythm with us a while back. Today, she is back to revisit their morning rhythm… Welcome, Nicole. : : : Good Morning Dear Earth Good morning dear earth Good morning dear sun Good morning dear flowers and fairies, every […]
Happy Monday! I’ve been having fun brainstorming about home improvements around our house and looking at lots of blogs and Pinterest boards for inspiration lately. I thought it would be fun …
Creating a Waldorf Home Whether their children are grades students at a Waldorf school, homeschoolers studying with a parent-teacher or preschoolers organically learning and growing at home, many families appreciate a warm, organic environment and they want to create a Waldorf home. The home is the perfect place for Waldorf principles to be made manifest. […]
A little sunshine for when we haven't got any.
One of the ways we are finding comfort and connection within our community is by sharing our favorite holiday traditions with you and appreciating each one shared with us. Today we’ve gathered a few traditions we love from Bella Luna Toys customers and friends. We invite you to read how each Waldorf family makes the holiday season special through traditions, old and new.
Learn How To Bring The Beauty Of Waldorf Into Your Home Get Access To My Exclusive Training That Will Show You The 8 Key Steps To Bringing Waldorf Into Your Home & Lifestyle Your children do not have to go to a Waldorf school – YOU can bring Waldorf into your home! Regular Price = […]
waldorfmama
Here you will find a simple outline of what Waldorf Education is, it’s core values, and how that can translate into the home! I discovered Waldorf, when my daughter was first born, after searching …
The Waldorf method of education is gaining in popularity, but the tuition is expensive. Learn simple, easy ways to provide the benefits of this method to your child at home.
I love Autumn, it's the season that just makes me so very happy. While many people view Spring as a time of renewal and growth, for me, Fall is the time of year that I feel moved to make changes in our environment, especially our home. Perhaps it's the feeling that we'll be spending much more of our time indoors in the upcoming months that moves me to bring fresh energy into our rooms. I envision our home to be warm and nourishing. I want it to be our haven of comfort in the cold of winter and the bustle of the holidays. So I've been spending some time the past few weeks moving things around, putting things aside and finding new homes for items whose time of usefulness has passed for us. Our dining room is the heart of our home. As well as being the place where our family shares our meals, it is also the place where the boys play the most. It holds the cabinet for art supplies, shelves for toys and my favorite part of the room, the Autumn Corner. As Ivan still steadfastly refuses to let me lazure the walls my favorite Waldorf Kindergarten colors (harumph!), I've dyed playsilks to use as backdrops. I actually made this bookshelf myself and I love that it now holds my boys playthings :) There is a story shelf with a few of our favorite wooden figures that the boys use to imagine tales of knights and wizards. The shelf below holds the household items, a machine and a basket of small playsilks to "sew" with and the knitted food for the play kitchen. On the opposite wall is the boys kitchen with our favorite pressed leaves hanging as a garland Another area of the dining room holds a small bookshelf to place toy baskets and a few art supplies The boys have enjoyed the new energy in the room. Matteo loves to sit and draw, Nico makes his imaginary skyscrapers with his blocks and Luca is always busy in the little kitchen. I really love that the room is the gathering place for our small tribe :). Happy Autumn to All!
I enjoyed reading this article from Victoria Fedden on 14 easy ways to bring Waldorf into your home. 14 Easy Ways To Bring Waldorf Into Your Home Here’s a tutorial on how to make these gorgeous Waldorf Origami Stars. If you want more information on Waldorf Education, please visit my Waldorf Page […]
I have exciting news today… I’m happy to announce that I am bringing back the Discovering Waldorf Education series. So many of you have requested its return as it gave us all such a beautiful, every-day, insight into the Waldorf way. The Discovering Waldorf series is a compilation of articles about the Waldorf way of […]
Welcome to Discovering Waldorf, where everyday families share their Waldorf thoughts and experiences. Today, Joey is here to talk about how she brings Waldorf into her family’s life. :: Discovering Waldorf:: Living and learning about the Waldorf lifestyle by: Joey van Oort We live over an hour’s drive from the closest Waldorf School so unfortunately […]
Looking at supply lists (especially for Waldorf art) can make your head spin a bit; it can feel like a lot of stuff, and expensive stuff at that. How can you be sure you’ll actually use what you buy? Are there other alternative brands that will give you the same result? How do you store everything
Don’t you just love the cozy environment of a Waldorf preschool? Way back when my children were young, I taught at my own little home preschool and I loved the level of intention and thoughtfulness it brought to me in my home environment with my own children. The home is really the perfect place for […]
It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home. ~Author Unknown ...
Since we moved to our current house nearly two years ago, I haven't really messed around with the bedroom layouts. Beatrix had her bedroom with her toys in it. Byron and I used the third bedroom as an office/craft/guest room....
I adore seeing my friend’s Waldorf inspired homes. I take such inspiration from the way they have arranged things, their toy choices and the general feel of their space. These lovely photos are from one such friend’s home. My friend lives in a sweet cottage, set back up off the road, with wonderful green paddocks, gum trees and a dam nearby. She has lovely big windows letting light stream through. The first thing I noticed when I visited was the feel of her home. The way it welcomed, warmed and made me feel comfortable. I can imagine her lovely children embraced by their surroundings. Happily playing with their beautiful and simple Waldorf inspired toys. With sunlight gently dancing around them as they cuddle their dolls and make cups of tea at their play kitchen. Isn’t it a lovely space *smile* You can see our play kitchen here and some of our Waldorf inspired toys here. ??? And follow along on Facebook and Instagram to see snippets of our days ??? Blessings, Kelly Save Save
Learn Spanish at home! From Spanish songs, to bilingual books and hands-on activities for kids - we have everything you need to learn Spanish at home.
Creating a Waldorf Home Whether their children are grades students at a Waldorf school, homeschoolers studying with a parent-teacher or preschoolers organically learning and growing at home, many families appreciate a warm, organic environment and they want to create a Waldorf home. The home is the perfect place for Waldorf principles to be made manifest. […]
Rudolph Steiner has instilled a love of childhood in educators for decades. His philosophy on early education is that a child’s world should be filled with simple, natural, and open-ended toy…
Here you will find a simple outline of what Waldorf Education is, it’s core values, and how that can translate into the home! I discovered Waldorf, when my daughter was first born, after searching …
Waldorf Playroom Ideas Waldorf playrooms can be beautiful. They can also be very expensive. When I first came across Waldorf, what drew me to it was the beauty. I am in love with the natural materials and the simplicity of the toys.We have a small house so it's important that any toy that comes into
One of the ways we are finding comfort and connection within our community is by sharing our favorite holiday traditions with you and appreciating each one shared with us. Today we’ve gathered a few traditions we love from Bella Luna Toys customers and friends. We invite you to read how each Waldorf family makes the holiday season special through traditions, old and new.
The Waldorf method of education is gaining in popularity, but the tuition is expensive. Learn simple, easy ways to provide the benefits of this method to your child at home.
waldorfmama
Waldorf Window Stars A Simple Craft in Paper Folding IN WALDORF SCHOOLS, window stars are often displayed throughout the lower school grades to brighten the classrooms. Making one for your home can be a wonderful at-home craft to do with your little ones. What you'll need: Kite paper. We purchased ours from A Child's
Today on the Moon Child Blog we are joined by guest poster, artist and Waldorf mother, Jacinthe from @littlehouse_happyfamily. We asked her to share a bit about how she creates a summer infused with Waldorf tradition and we're thrilled with what she had to say. Read about how she establishes a relaxed rythmn that guides her family through this season of exploration, learning and play! Settling Into A Summer Rhythm When the days grow longer, and the flowers start to bloom we feel a shift in our energy and mood. A need to be outside most of our days, to climb trees, run barefoot, make bubbles, search for fairies in the woods, eat breakfast with the birds and explore every stream. After Beltane we naturally ease into a slower and simpler rhythm that leaves more place for free play, nature exploration and crafts. We drift away from our lessons in favor of books about adventure and fairy tales, we follow every rabbit hole that we stumble upon. Anchor Moments Our summer rhythm that starts with the summer solstice is more about anchor moments during the day that allow for rest and connection and still leave place for spontaneity and whimsy. These moments that are important to us are the spine of our rhythm during every season, but they become even more important during the summer months when we spend a lot more time outside or away from home. We start and end our day reading aloud as a family and we get together for meals and teatime. A daily rhythm should be about fostering a natural flow and dependable moments for rest and togetherness. Make A Wish List At the beginning of the season, we make a simple list of recipes we would like to try, crafts we would love to make or subjects we want to dive deeper into. This list represents our interests as a family. It changes with the years and can take any form that fits your family’s wishes and needs. It helps to give purpose to how we spend our time but still nurtures the freedom that we treasure so much about summer days. Every week, we plan one recipe, one project, one craft, one field trip and one free day. but we’ll let our mood and the weather dictate when they happen. This year we want to learn to cook Italian, bake sourdough bread, brew sun tea and find our favorite cheesecake recipe; we want to do sun printing cards to gift during the year, suncatchers with our pressed flowers, carve animals out of soapstone and make walnut boats to race down the stream. We want to learn more about bees and honey, pond life and bird songs. We want to make paper airplanes and fly a kite; make smores and go camping. We also want to try different hikes in the parks near our home. We’ll build a fort in the backyard, watch a concert in the park and get gelato from our favorite spot. It doesn’t have to be big adventures, just make the most of those precious summer days! Thank you to our friend, Jacinthe for sharing the way her family settles into a summer rhythm. Follow Jacinthe on Instagram @littlehouse_happy family to see all about how her family practices Waldorf homeschooling throughout the year. We hope you all can find marvelous adventures over your summer break. Share them with us on Instagram @bellalunatoys and using the hashtag #bellalunatoys. Hope your day is full to the brim of sunshine!
Learn the reason behind losing patience with toddlers, how to break the cycle of being impatient with kids. When you keep losing your temper with toddlers.
Q: Is the Waldorf Botany curriculum academic? (This post is part of a series in which we answer the most common questions we receive in our inbox re: homeschooling, Waldorf curriculum/pedagogy, and whatever else comes our way! Click here to read more from the series!) A : A frequent misco
We are beginning to move full swing into the holiday season and I have been planning the two weeks we will all be at home. With some down time I thought it would be a great chance to plan a few activities with my little ones, and since I do love all things Waldorf, I
When we discovered the warm and inviting classroom of Lisa and Nathaniel Santa Cruz, we instantly fell in love. Wondergarten is a Waldorf-inspired in-home preschool that seeks to enrich the lives of children with goodness & beauty. At Bella Luna Toys, one of our missions has always been to share the beauty of Waldorf education. The rare glimpse into the classroom that Lisa & Nathaniel share each day on Instagram does just that, and in such a lovely way. Let's take a journey through their day! Morning Playtime When children first arrive at Wondergarten, they have the option of playing with a variety of natural toys, play dough, beeswax crayons, blocks, books, and other essential Waldorf toys. According to Lisa, “Morning playtime is an essential part of our program, as it provides children with the opportunity to develop their imaginations, relationships, and problem-solving skills through creative, free play.” After a morning of playtime, the children transition by cleaning up and preparing for the daily ritual of circle time by singing Ring around the Rosie. Circle Time In Waldorf schools, circle time is a special time to celebrate the season with stories, songs, and creative movement. Each school puts their own spin on this special time and at Wondergarten, they add piano and guitar and dancing as they introduce their story of the week. After this joyful movement and song, the children transition to lesson time. Lesson Time The main lesson of the day typically fits one of three rotating activities; life skills, baking, or creative arts. According to Lisa, “lesson time and the development of life skills help children feel a sense of belonging, responsibility, and accomplishment as they contribute to various life-based activities.” From baking bread to wet on wet painting, each activity is directly tied to the season and helps foster community. Snack Time After cleaning up together and preparing the table, the children gather for snack time, which according to Lisa “is a delicious and nourishing part of our day.” As they eat, Nathaniel’s “Gnomes of Wondergarten” stories are told aloud, accompanied by engaging visuals and puppetry. As children finish their snacks, they wash and dry their dishes, put them back on the shelf, and get ready to go outside. Outdoor Playtime “Outdoor playtime is a highlight of our day, and we spend at least an hour outside each day, rain or shine, to build resilient bodies and a strong connection to the natural world.” Once outside, children play and work in the garden, run and play in the field, create muddy and treasure-filled concoctions in the mud kitchen, and love “collecting buckets of water and dumping them into ditches they've dug in the playscape to create lakes and rivers.” Wondergarten has even created a track where children can ride trikes “in little caravans, playing out stories of trains and fire trucks.” After a full day of play, nourishing food, fresh air, and gentle learning parents pick up their children from outside, and the day comes to a close. We are so glad to see Wondergarten open up their beautiful enviornment to share more about Waldorf education with the public. It is a beautifully peaceful way for children to learn and grow. To see more, follow Wondergarten on Instagram @wondergarten_earlychildhood or visit their website here: Wondergarten.net At Bella Luna Toys, we love to share the wonder of Waldorf education and how it can be incorporated into play. We are so thrilled to watch Wondergarten flourish and share their knowledge of Waldorf learning with a wide audience. Follow along as we share more on Instagram @bellalunatoys and don't forget to share your play and childhood magic using the hashtag #bellalunatoys.
Parents often discover Waldorf through a toy catalog. “Waldorf” toys are made of natural materials (wood, wool, silk, cloth), they are pleasing to the senses and thoughtfully crafted, they support creative and open-ended play - they are beautiful. And surrounding our children and
It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home. ~Author Unknown *Photos updated regularly
I have just started my little boy at my local Steiner Playgroup for mums and toddlers. I have meaning to go for a while and I am so glad I have finally taken the step and gone along. Before I had Alex
Discovering Waldorf The Magic Of Waldorf Storybooks by: Joey van Oort We do not have a Waldorf School close by to enroll our children, however, we have chosen to live a Waldorf lifestyle at home. When my children were born my mother in law introduced us to a few of the Waldorf story books that […]
i've been taking more notice of the spaces around our home and working to make them peaceful and meaningful. to create beauty here...where we spend so much of our time. to de-clutter and move toward more simplicity. and i've discovered...
When we discovered the warm and inviting classroom of Lisa and Nathaniel Santa Cruz, we instantly fell in love. Wondergarten is a Waldorf-inspired in-home preschool that seeks to enrich the lives of children with goodness & beauty. At Bella Luna Toys, one of our missions has always been to share the beauty of Waldorf education. The rare glimpse into the classroom that Lisa & Nathaniel share each day on Instagram does just that, and in such a lovely way. Let's take a journey through their day! Morning Playtime When children first arrive at Wondergarten, they have the option of playing with a variety of natural toys, play dough, beeswax crayons, blocks, books, and other essential Waldorf toys. According to Lisa, “Morning playtime is an essential part of our program, as it provides children with the opportunity to develop their imaginations, relationships, and problem-solving skills through creative, free play.” After a morning of playtime, the children transition by cleaning up and preparing for the daily ritual of circle time by singing Ring around the Rosie. Circle Time In Waldorf schools, circle time is a special time to celebrate the season with stories, songs, and creative movement. Each school puts their own spin on this special time and at Wondergarten, they add piano and guitar and dancing as they introduce their story of the week. After this joyful movement and song, the children transition to lesson time. Lesson Time The main lesson of the day typically fits one of three rotating activities; life skills, baking, or creative arts. According to Lisa, “lesson time and the development of life skills help children feel a sense of belonging, responsibility, and accomplishment as they contribute to various life-based activities.” From baking bread to wet on wet painting, each activity is directly tied to the season and helps foster community. Snack Time After cleaning up together and preparing the table, the children gather for snack time, which according to Lisa “is a delicious and nourishing part of our day.” As they eat, Nathaniel’s “Gnomes of Wondergarten” stories are told aloud, accompanied by engaging visuals and puppetry. As children finish their snacks, they wash and dry their dishes, put them back on the shelf, and get ready to go outside. Outdoor Playtime “Outdoor playtime is a highlight of our day, and we spend at least an hour outside each day, rain or shine, to build resilient bodies and a strong connection to the natural world.” Once outside, children play and work in the garden, run and play in the field, create muddy and treasure-filled concoctions in the mud kitchen, and love “collecting buckets of water and dumping them into ditches they've dug in the playscape to create lakes and rivers.” Wondergarten has even created a track where children can ride trikes “in little caravans, playing out stories of trains and fire trucks.” After a full day of play, nourishing food, fresh air, and gentle learning parents pick up their children from outside, and the day comes to a close. We are so glad to see Wondergarten open up their beautiful enviornment to share more about Waldorf education with the public. It is a beautifully peaceful way for children to learn and grow. To see more, follow Wondergarten on Instagram @wondergarten_earlychildhood or visit their website here: Wondergarten.net At Bella Luna Toys, we love to share the wonder of Waldorf education and how it can be incorporated into play. We are so thrilled to watch Wondergarten flourish and share their knowledge of Waldorf learning with a wide audience. Follow along as we share more on Instagram @bellalunatoys and don't forget to share your play and childhood magic using the hashtag #bellalunatoys.
