September 2024

In our Nursery School, the gardens are more than just a playground – they are a place where curiosity blooms, where children learn valuable life skills together through their own discoveries. Recently, there has been a special story going around among our staff that has affectionately been deemed ‘The Boat Story’, which today I share with our community.

A child in our Nursery School decided to build a boat using pieces of wood and other materials he found. This was no small task, but with determination and creativity, he crafted a ship that he hoped would float. His friends, intrigued by this project, soon joined him. They decided to test the boat’s seaworthiness by digging a hole in the sandpit to create a moat.

The next step – filling the hole with water – was found to be quite a challenge, for the nearest tap was far away. The children grabbed a watering can and, realising it was too heavy to carry when full, emptied out some water, and worked together to transport it back to the hole.

The moment of truth arrived. The boat was gently placed in the water, but, to their disappointment, it did not float. Instead of giving up, the children concluded that more water was needed, and set off once more to refill the watering can.

They placed the boat back in the water and…their persistence had paid off – the boat was floating! What joy was heard in the garden as the children celebrated!

What might seem like a simple activity was, in fact, a profound learning experience. The children had not only (unknowingly) explored principles of buoyancy, but also honed essential life skills in collaboration, problem-solving, and perseverance.

This is the essence of Waldorf education. It’s about more than just academic achievement; it’s about fostering a love for learning through hands-on experiences and meaningful play. By allowing children the space to explore the world around them, we give them the tools to understand it. They learn that challenges can be overcome, that working together makes difficult tasks possible, and that failure is not the end.

In a Waldorf school, moments like these are cherished. This moment beautifully illustrates the power of child-led exploration and the profound learning that can happen when children are given the freedom to engage with the natural world. So, the next time you see a child engaged in play, remember that they are not just having fun; they are learning, growing, and laying the foundations for the future.

“If a child has been able in his play to give up his whole loving being to the world around him, he will be able, in the serious tasks of later life, to devote himself with confidence and power to the service of the world.”

~ Rudolf Steiner, Founder of Waldorf Education

“The world of pretend play is one in which children can be free to express themselves, their ideas, their emotions, and their fantastic visions of themselves, of other people, and of the world.”

~Sandra Russ, Psychologist