Apple Blossom Waldorf School and Family Center

It’s official - summer is here and week one of camp is in session! Our idyllic play yards and gentle summer rhythms preserve the wonder of childhood and that nostalgic feeling of summers past. Time in nature and spaces that foster imaginative play are central to summer fun at Apple Blossom! There is still time to join us this summer for a program that nourishes children’s head, heart and hands.

Thank you to everyone who joined our All School Spring cleaning day this past Saturday. This day is always an opportunity to model for our children how we take care of the things we care about… and after a long winter our play yards needed some love.

Trees and flowers were planted, wood chips and sand were spread and our Maypole was set up to practice in anticipation of our May Day Festival this Friday, May 8th. Now when the spring sun shines, it shines extra brightly on our idyllic play yards that have been cared for with love by our Apple Blossom community.

The children hard at “work”.. aka play. Our teachers say “play is the children’s work,” because of how foundational it is to their development and how many different skill sets they are building through their free play. Some benefits of free play include:

- foundational psychological needs are met through play ie. developing autonomy, self confidence/competence and the ability to relate to others
- brain development and executive functioning
- physical and social benefits include improved motor skills, cooperation and emotional regulation
- enhances cognitive abilities by encouraging experimentation, creativity and problem solving
- social and emotional benefits such as resilience, empathy and the ability to act out and understand social and cultural dynamics, healthy identity development

What a winter we have been having! While the snow has been a wonderful experience for the children; helping us to get comfortable in many layers, as well as offering an opportunity to practice our balance and to slow down… now it is time for the renewal of spring. It’s almost hard to believe that the enormous amounts of snow we had were not too long ago, now that the light has changed, the birds are chirping and the last of the snow is melting away.

Spring, like fall, is a season of change and transition. The days are visibly longer, the sap is rising, snowdrops are beginning to peak out of the earth, and the birds and squirrels are busy singing and building. The children perceive this stirring as well and our supported through daily rhythms at school and home. We take extra care with our in-breath and restful moments during this transition and will be transitioning to our regular rhythm with more time outside to ease our “waking up from winter.”

Swipe to see the visual transition from winter to the stirrings of spring at Apple Blossom Waldorf School & Family Center!

In the depth of the winter cold and quiet, we have the coming of Spring to look forward to. Save the date for our annual Music and Merriment, Friday April 24th. We look forward to gathering with community for an evening of dinner, dancing, music and both live and silent auctions. All are welcome to join us for this joyous evening in service to Apple Blossom Waldorf School and Family Center! We look forward to seeing you.

Crafting wreaths (Nursery) and snow angels (Kindergarten) in our winter program. Wishing everyone the ease, calm and warmth we are fostering in our classrooms this last week before the holidays.

“Within the darkness of the night
I long to be a light,
That seeds be planted, small but glowing,
Seeds of brightness which start growing.

Soon, in darkness round me, empty, void of light,
Heaven word resounds, and all things sparkle
Pure and clear and bright.”

We are always grateful to celebrate our Spiral Garden festival with our Apple Blossom community each year. A celebration of our inner light during the darkest time of year; kindling warmth and renewal as the world grows colder.

The spiral, an ancient symbol without beginning or end, represents life’s eternal journey. A path winding inward toward reflection and outward toward connection. The evergreens symbolize life; in the form of the spiral, life everlasting. Natural objects representing the mineral, plant and animals kingdoms are represented throughout the spiral.

The apples carried by the children symbolize the will and strength of mankind, while the candles placed within them represent the human spirit. Like the flame of the candle, the human soul burns brightly, illuminating our world with light.

Martinmas or our All School Lantern Festival is a quiet, thoughtful and serene evening as the nights begin to get shorter - a celebration of light, warmth and kindness. It reminds us that even a small act of goodness can brighten the darkness around us.

This reminder, that each of us carries an inner light even as the world grows cold and bare, is felt rather than directly taught. Through the crafting of the lanterns, walking, singing and sharing, children (and their families) experience that light grows stronger when it is shared, and that compassion, even in small acts, can change the world around them.

Join us for our upcoming Open House, Saturday November 1st from 9:30am to 11:00am. Hosted by our lead teachers and enrollment coordinator, we have curated a morning that will allow you and your child to experience a morning in one of our classrooms; from bread baking to circle time and everything in between! We look forward to meeting you. Enrollment for Fall 2026 is NOW OPEN.

Beyond the daily and weekly rhythms to which we grow accustomed to in our classrooms, we also have overarching seasonal rhythms that guide the course of our year and inform our pedagogy, festivals and celebrations. Seasonal songs, stories and crafts help children attune to the changing seasons, deepening their relationship with the world around them and allowing them to experience of the cycle of life - growth, harvest, rest and renewal.