The Waldorf School of St. Louis

Not long ago, they were losing their first teeth (with the help of a teacher 😉), coming in from rainy mornings in the meadow with muddy boots and rosy cheeks, and carefully sewing dolls with little hands working patiently and proudly.

And somehow, here we are.

Somewhere between those early days, adventures through forests and caves, festivals, field trips, and stepping into the world of the Wizard of Oz with their friends, these children grew into the remarkable young people they are today.

As they prepare to begin high school at Rosati Kain, Parkway, and Webster Groves, we are not only proud of what they accomplished, but of who they become.

We have had the joy of watching them grow, learn, and discover, and what a gift that has been.

Go be amazing. We already know you are.💜

In this short video, Prof. Audrey van der Meer explains why writing by hand is far more than a nostalgic habit. Drawing on decades of neuroscience research, she explains how handwriting activates more areas of the brain than typing, improving learning, memory, focus, and cognitive development.

Why handwriting is better for your brain | Neuroscientist Prof. Audrey van der Meer In this video, Prof. Audrey van der Meer explains why writing by ha...

An apple a day... becomes quite a project when you're feeding a room full of hungry campers!

Our Early Childhood campers rolled up their sleeves and got to work chopping apples for a delicious snack. Along the way, little hands practiced coordination, concentration, and care while sharing stories and laughter around the table.

In Waldorf education, even simple tasks become meaningful experiences.

From the Waldorf School of Cape Cod:

The Healing Power of Storytelling
Waldorf educators teach through stories. A eurythmy teacher skips around a circle with a class while telling a story about a squirrel. A language teacher tells a story in French while illustrating the tale with puppets. Physical education teachers often base games on imagery from a story. Class teachers teach history through biographies and math through engaging stories that illustrate a concept. In fact, Rudolf Steiner designed the grades curriculum around a set of stories for each grade level. (more about this later.)
Waldorf teachers also use stories to support the healing of individual children or the social life of a class. As a class teacher I've told stories to help children process grief, to support self confidence and to deal with unexpected circumstances. Like many Waldorf parents and grandparents, I've also relied on stories as a source of connection with my own children and my grandchildren. I encourage you to explore stories as a powerful way to relate with and support your children.

To continue reading, click here:

The Healing Power of Storytelling — Waldorf School of Cape Cod by Kim Allsup Waldorf educators teach through stories. A eurythmy teacher skips around a circle with a class while telling a story about a squirrel. A  language teacher tells a story in French while illustrating the tale with puppets. Physical education teachers often base games on imagery

When you base your pedagogy on child development, you can rise above trends that do not serve children.
Neuroscientist and educator, Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, offered testimony this year to Congress to help shape future education policy. His primary recommendation? Stop incentivizing digital adoption and pull back on screens in schools.
"Evidence indicates that indiscriminate digital expansion has weakened learning environments... it doesn't matter what the size of the screen is...and it doesn't matter who bought it...All of these things are also going to hurt learning, which in turn are going to hurt our kids' cognitive development."

Doctor on How Screen Time Hurts Kids' Cognitive Development Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath: "Even in schools, it doesn't matter what ...

We love celebrating our alumni!

A huge THANK YOU to for highlighting Rowan Riney, Class of 2017. Rowan is making an impact as a paramedic in the Metro East while working towards his goal of attending medical school. Driven by passion for resuscitation science and bringing aggressive critical care to the community he serves motivated him to start .

His commitment to serving others and leading with purpose is inspiring! We could not be prouder to see one of our graduates making such a difference in the lives of others.

Join us in congratulating Rowan on all he has accomplished. We cannot wait to see what comes next!

We encourage everyone, especially children and families, to step away from digital entertainment and engage in meaningful, offline activities. Children need to develop unmediated relationships with each other in person and with the real world through exploration and creative play before engaging with the virtual world.

Screen-Free Week has been celebrated for over 30 years. We feel that this event offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and become more aware of the growing impact of screen use on both children’s development and our own. It highlights the importance of creating space for play, connection, and healthy growth. While the designated dates support national awareness, participation can take place at any time that best fits local communities.

The initiative also highlights the growing concerns about how technology affects children’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being, including data privacy, attention, and overall development. Supported by leading international health organizations, Screen-Free Week provides families and educators with tools, research, and practical guidance https://screenfree.org/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=5e022a68-a757-4edd-b7d6-b68e22d457c9 to reduce screen time and foster habits that support well-being.

We are grateful to the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play https://ipaworld.org/childs-right-to-play/the-childs-right-to-play/ for its leadership and for providing valuable resources for families and educators.

Click here https://screenfree.org/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=5e022a68-a757-4edd-b7d6-b68e22d457c9for more information on how to get involved.

If you would like to share your activities with Screen Free, sign up here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCa-5b2RJOBa0jHeY4ix8Ft5ySbADOAnf493vGU48Dcn1Z3A/viewform

The Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America is an active participant in the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play initiative and invites communities to take part in Screen-Free Week, May 4–10. We encourage everyone, especially children and families, to step away from digital entertainment and engage in meaningful, offline activities. Children need to develop unmediated relationships with each other in person and with the real world through exploration and creative play before engaging with the virtual world.

Screen-Free Week has been celebrated for over 30 years. We feel that this event offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and become more aware of the growing impact of screen use on both children’s development and our own. It highlights the importance of creating space for play, connection, and healthy growth. While the designated dates support national awareness, participation can take place at any time that best fits local communities.

The initiative also highlights the growing concerns about how technology affects children’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being, including data privacy, attention, and overall development. Supported by leading international health organizations, Screen-Free Week provides families and educators with tools, research, and practical guidance https://screenfree.org/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=5e022a68-a757-4edd-b7d6-b68e22d457c9 to reduce screen time and foster habits that support well-being.

We are grateful to the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play https://ipaworld.org/childs-right-to-play/the-childs-right-to-play/ for its leadership and for providing valuable resources for families and educators. We warmly encourage WECAN member programs and communities to participate again this year.

Warmly, Meggan Gill and Heather Church

Click here https://screenfree.org/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=5e022a68-a757-4edd-b7d6-b68e22d457c9for more information on how to get involved.

If you would like to share your activities with Screen Free, sign up here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCa-5b2RJOBa0jHeY4ix8Ft5ySbADOAnf493vGU48Dcn1Z3A/viewform

In our early childhood program, we hold a simple idea at the center of our work: childhood has its own rhythm and purpose. Young children learn best through movement, play, imitation, and meaningful activity. Rather than asking children to grow up too quickly, our classrooms protect the time and space for them to be children. The day unfolds through stories, songs, practical work, outdoor play, and creative activity. Through these experiences children build imagination, social skills, coordination, and confidence. These capacities form the foundation for later academic learning in the grades.

The Early Childhood program at the Waldorf School of St. Louis includes both Preschool and Kindergarten. In the classrooms, you will find children baking bread, caring for their environment, building with simple materials, listening to stories, and exploring the natural world. While these experiences may seem simple, they foster deep and meaningful learning. When children play freely they practice cooperation and problem solving. When they hear rich language through stories and songs, they develop the groundwork for reading and writing. When they move, climb, dig, and run outdoors their bodies grow strong and balanced.

For families who are curious about this approach, the best way to understand it is to experience the atmosphere of the classroom and the life of the school community. We invite you to come see the classrooms, walk the campus, and meet the teachers who guide the children each day. Seeing the warmth, activity, and joy of the early childhood program often helps families understand how meaningful it is for young children to spend these early years in an environment where they are free to grow, play, and experience the world as children.

Discover our Early Childhood program at one of our upcoming events. Join us by signing up today:

- Morning in the Meadow at https://www.waldorfstl.org/open-house-1,
- Walk & Talk Tour at https://www.waldorfstl.org/walk-and-talk
- Little Red Hen Playdate at https://www.waldorfstl.org/littleredhen

Look at this!! Alum Sarah Russell just debuted her original design at the Art of Fashion at Webster Arts. We are so excited to see your creativity taking center stage. Congratulations, Sarah! We can't wait to see what you design next!