Waldorf nursery classrooms are an extension of the family experience, an intermediary step for children between the home and formal schooling. They support child development, nurture families, and build a foundation for academic excellence by providing a warm, secure, and beautiful environment in which the imagination and creativity of the child can flourish. Experienced teachers guide the children through rhythms and activities designed to help build a sense of well-being and wonder. Every part of the child's school day is given careful thought and planning, from the physical environment to the daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms. The rhythm of each day flows from active moments of rigorous work and play to quiet moments of story and rest, and brings friends, play, nature walks, snack preparation, and seasonal circles with finger games, songs and stories. Nursery circle time lets the children live freely and naturally into their joy of movement, while simultaneously stimulating their imagination. Woven out of archetypal activities of life and experiences of nature, the rhymes and songs in our circles nourish the child’s language development and delight in singing.

Waldorf Kindergartens are educational environments that instill the seeds of a lifelong love for learning, helping to provide the foundation that every young child needs for self-confidence, resilience, and future academic excellence. Memory, inner picturing, sequencing, and language skills are fostered by oral storytelling of folk and fairy tales, puppetry, verses and poems. The pacing, intonation, gestures, and expression of the storyteller all support the children’s growing vocabulary, listening comprehension, and attention span as they are invited into a world of “once upon a time." Other activities nurture and challenge the children’s will: planting and digging in the garden, hiking in the local hills, kneading bread, chopping vegetables, and making crafts. Working with their hands lays a foundation for critical thinking and problem solving, and helps children develop the rewarding ability to create objects that are beautiful and functional. Craftwork also nurtures the ability to concentrate, and refine small motor coordination. Plenty of healthy movement allows the children to grow strong in their bodies. Daily activities such as cooking, sorting, and table-setting help to establish a foundation for mathematics, sequencing, and number skills.