Waldorf Beauty

One thing, I love about Waldorf is that the environment really invokes a sense of awe and wonder in children. I have been so inspired by the natural beauty of these Waldorf Kindergarten rooms that others have shared. The following posts about Waldorf are images from others. I wish I remember where they were sourced, but they are just too good not to share.

A tree stump table. How fun. Hopefully, I'll spot a tree removing company in our neighborhood, so I could get some tree stumps for our backyard. I think any kid would love these.

Waldorf Doll Corner

Dolls are very important in child's play. When the dolls are made simple, the child to able to play fully with the dolls and utilize their imaginations so the dolls could be happy, sad, excited, etc.

Toymaking with Children by Freya Jaffke is an amazing resource. The book states that "the doll is one of the most important toys. When selecting toys, the most important consideration is that they should stimulate the child's imagination and provide living, natural images. These considerations apply especially to dolls. A doll is an image of a human being and is therefore the toy most suited to develop and enliven the self-image in the growing child."

Toymaking with Children recommends "having cloths, shawls, crown headbands, yarn cords and sheep's wool to help the children create and dress doll children. A simple doll's dress for older children (five to six-year-olds). Bunting beds, various baskets, a cradle, a hammock or a footstool can serve as sleeping places for the doll children, Small wooden bowls and spoon, acorns and chestnuts, small vases and candlesticks, and a child's harp, greatly enhance the serious yet joyful quality of play in imitation of daily life or special festive events."

Thanks again to those who have shared these beautiful images on the Waldorf Kindergarten rooms. They are very inspiring.

Waldorf Kitchen Play

Waldorf animals

Carved wood animals and a basket of knit animals. My little one has her eye on a farm full of knit animals. A great book, Toymaking with Children by Freya Jaffke, is an instructional book for making Waldorf toys. I think it is wonderful if you could make a toy for your little one.

Waldorf Puppets

My little one has her eye on these as well. The patterns for these standing dolls and marionettes could be found in Toymaking with Children by Freya Jaffke.




Here are some other examples of homemade Waldorf inspired puppets and marionettes.

Waldorf Play Corner / Playroom

What I see ... wood stump castle with cloth dolls, interesting wood branches, carved wooden figures, animals, and chairs, a basket of cloth dolls, doilies, shells...

The foundation of any Waldorf play corner begins with some sort of playstand. There are many designs out there, they can be made as simple or elaborate as you would like. Toymaking with Children by Freya Jaffke has a plan for a simple playstand design. My little one loves her playstands, which were a design my husband played around with so we could taller playstands with 3 deeper shelves.

The open shelves are wonderful. I love that she can access all of her things and it helps keep everything organized. When she was younger, low shelves and toys in baskets and on the floor allowed her access, but as she grew older, the playstands made her play area functional. As you see her playstands are full, so I am in need of another bookshelf to lighten her playstands. I think it's better to have some empty space and empty baskets on her playstands and then she could fully utilize her imagination. The playstands could be anything, a kitchen, a market, a house, a cave, a fort, a "secret hideout". I highly recommend them.

Baskets of Waldorf

When I first came across Waldorf, I really was attracted to the natural, simplicity of the toys. I could understand how a child's imagination would take flight by using a simple, less-formed toy verse a formed, specific toy. Right up my alley, but would my child play with it?

I was recommended a few toys which I purchased. My little one was about 3 years old and they were a 35x35 rainbow playsilk, a Grimm's Spiel and Holz natural stacking and nesting bowl set and a Grimm's rainbow stacking tunnel.


The playsilks are wonderful for dressing up and pretending. They could be capes, dresses, veils, fairy skirts, flying carpets, and they were great for playing peek-a-boo games. Later on, the playsilks become part of building forts, teepees, caves, and "secret hideouts". Smaller play silks are utilized on nature tables and for in building landscaped as blue playsilks become ponds and streams, and other colored playsilks can become fields, and meadows. Playsilks make wonderful doll blankets.


The nesting bowls have been the most used toy by far. My little one used them for gathering, sorting, collecting and organizing her nature walk treasures. They were stacked up many times and in many ways with building blocks and the rainbow stacking tunnel.





The rainbow tunnel were played with quite a lot at the time. They were tunnels, bridges, and caves. They also have been toadstools, chairs, beds, hammocks, rocking chairs, and homes for smaller dolls, animals, gnomes, and fairies.

With these less formed toys, I really saw my little one's creative play change and her imagination take flight. We also grabbed a basket when we went for our usual walk around the neighborhood. We put her basket of collected pine cones on her bookshelf and started a nature table or seasonal table. Shortly after, my little one stood up 3 pine cones, for each member of her family during play. I was really amazed. With a few trips to some thrift stores for baskets and some nature walks, we collecting all different natural materials: rocks, sticks, shells, leaves, acorns, seed pods, and flowers. All these natural elements enhanced her play. Later, sanded tree stumps, yarn dolls, tree nuts, wooden eggs, and playsilks filled more baskets. Here are some images from Waldorf Kindergarten rooms that I found: