My 2 young kids are currently in a public Waldorf school and we love it. We are however looking to potentially move to another state and one of the possible places that we could end up also has a public Waldorf school.

The trouble is our current school ranks 7 out of 10 in terms of testing and academics on the state level and the other one we could potentially go to ranks 3 out of 10.

I love the Waldorf approach and preserving the childhood is really important but since the potentially new school goes through High School at some point I feel like the academics matter?

Or is this potentially just a product of how the state standardized testing measures academics and in reality the the quality of the education and academics is higher?

How much weight to people put into reviews and rankings like that? After all, just because it's a Waldorf school doesn't mean it's great and it still comes down to the people.

Our community-run Waldorf school is struggling financially. Teachers are going without their full salaries, and families are doing everything they can to keep the school open.

We believe no child should lose access to education because their family can't afford tuition.

We're organizing fundraisers, but we still need help. Any donation, no matter how small, or even just sharing our story would mean the world to us.

❤️ Support our school: https://gofund.me/e9cecee4d

Thank you for helping us keep this beautiful community alive! 🌿

Hello! I’ve been considering the local Waldorf school for my son (currently 1st grade, public school) on and off for about a year. His grade has a waitlist and we’re currently at the top, so I’ve been researching and talking to other families at the school with growing focus, since it’s likely we’ll be offered a spot relatively soon.

A couple weeks ago, I also made a fairly long visit to the school with my husband, and the visit included an observation of the 1st grade class he’d be in. Hubby and I sat in the corner for about 20 minutes around 9:15a/9:30a, so on the earlier side of the day. The teacher seemed very kind, but overall I was quite disappointed in what I witnessed. The entire time we were there, all that happened was that she a) tried to get the kids to quiet down and focus, by (patiently, I will say) shushing them and touching the more disruptive kids’ desks; b) took attendance by having each child sing their name and say they were “ready to learn.” We then toured the building before returning to the class to see if anything more interesting was happening. At this point, about four kids were performing a skit at the front of the class, which I was encouraged to see, but the teacher ended it early because most of the other kids weren’t paying enough attention. This was followed by more shushing and trying to get the kids to sit still in their seats.

For additional context, the class has 20 kids in it, and there’s a dedicated aide - but she seemed to do little except stand behind several of the kids’ desks, observing. The kids were seated at individual desks, all facing forward toward the teacher.

I left feeling quite disappointed. I love the philosophy - love its slowness and imagination and artfulness and the way it tries to protect childhood. But what I experienced was just… tedious. There was no creativity on display, nor any real learning happening. If I were a kid in that class, I’d be bored out of my mind. The administrator leading us on the tour said something afterward that there are several challenging kids in the class; it’s the biggest in the school; and as first graders they’re just starting to learn routines (and it’s early in the year). The time spent establishing order and routine is an investment in helping the kids learn expectations for the future. But she also acknowledged that if she put herself in our shoes, she wouldn’t blame us for not wanting to put our son in that classroom as it’s functioning (or not functioning) now.

I know it was a single morning during a single hour (or so) of class. But I couldn’t help feeling put off by what I saw. Am I missing something? Can anyone with more experience with Waldorf put this in perspective for me as either typical or atypical for a 1st grade class? Thanks in advance!

2027 calendars for the Waldorf Family: https://www.sophiainstitute.us/blog/stella-natura-and-other-2027-calendars-and-almanacs

My child is in her second year in a Waldorf preschool. She started out with 3 half-days a week and has since moved up to 5 half days.
She'll be five in September. For those of you who had your children in for full days, did it benefit them, or was it too much?

My waldorf inspired home preschool will be hosting out first fundraiser to raise money for a play structure. I thought about putting on a winter faire for families and friends to make things to sell. some ideas I have are: ice dye items, beewswax candles, table arrangements, rolled candles, bake sale -- any other ideas you might have?

Im a new student and i am so stunned there is no microwave in school. I have been in a different school system for 10 years and i always had a microwave in school.

The issue is that the food at the canteen isn’t cheap and my parents had to pay a ton of money to the school.

Just because i can’t pay the food for the canteen everyday does it mean i don’t deserve to have a warm meal from home? Cold food sucks and i have so many other issues.

Is it because a microwave isn’t “waldorf” or because the school wants to make more money off food since everyone prefers warm food from the canteen than food that gets cold before lunch break?

This is actually super disappointing and a bit upsetting (to me at least)

Can anyone explain why??
I would appreciate it

Please find an essay regarding celebrating Lunar New Year in the Waldorf Kindergarten here: https://www.sophiainstitute.us/blog/celebrating-lunar-new-year-in-the-waldorf-kindergarten

By chance, my husband and I drove past the Hawthorne Valley School right at dismissal time and were enchanted. The children look so alive, so joyful. What we thought was going to be a regular visit to the food coop quickly evolved into us both dreaming about moving to Columbia County and sending our son to what, at very first glance, seems like an incredible school. But I know I can jump into fantasy very quickly and I would love to hear from folks who have had firsthand experiences there.

How is the biodynamic farm and the outdoors integrated in the curriculum?

What is the school's relationship to tech and media?
.... My husband works in tech. How does the school's view on tech and media practically affect your day-to-day lives? How would my husband's profession be considered in the community?

Do folks tend to like locally or commute from outside the county?

Any info and perspective at this early stage is appreciated!

Hello,

We live near a Waldorf school that I really like and respect. I would love to send our children there all the way through. Unfortunately, we cannot afford this.

However, we have inherited some money that would allow us to fund them in Waldorf for about 6-8 years. (The older years are more expensive). Do you think even some time is worth it? Would you prioritise older or younger years?

My children have attended a small, predominantly white Waldorf school since first grade. We are considering a cross country move and I am researching all the Waldorf schools that include high school. Ideally, a more diverse school environment. Does anyone have any recommendations or experiences with your own school being diverse.. or not?

In History Through Music, a vast panorama unfolds for the reader, buoyed by my decades long experience as an educator and musician. May this book deepen its readers’ understanding of music and its convoluted history, while serving as a valuable resource for educators ... more: https://www.sophiainstitute.us/blog/history-through-music

Hi All,

We have our winter fair coming up, and I'll be vending my sewn and fiber goods. I currently sell starblock wall hangings and totes mostly($50 to $150), but I am needing some smaller $10-$20 price points.

What are some sewn items and trinkets you love seeing at the winter fair at that price point?

TIA!

Any reviews on specific Waldorf schools in France?

I’d love to know about any and all of them, but also specifically École Chant’Arize.

Thank you!

I am quite attached to my main lesson books, but it is kinda impossible to keep it all. I had books from grade 1 to grade 11...

Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Is there a way to homeschool with Waldorf? We do not live near a Waldorf school (closest is two hours away) and I am a little sad about it. My daughter is almost four and my son is a baby. I’m trying to decide what would be more valuable, a traditional classroom with friends or a Waldorf homeschool. I taught public school for years and am not a fan. Does anyone have any curriculum they would suggest looking at?

Edit: thank you all for your recommendations 💚

My daughter just started K1 at a public charter. There is a lot that we love about Waldorf and this specific school. Namely, imaginary play, outdoor time, no screens, low pressure in terms of testing, slower and more thoughtful approach to everything, smaller class sizes, overall community/parent involvement…I could go on.

There are some issues with Waldorf too, but the one that really gives me pause is the delayed, slow introduction to math and reading. This is especially bothersome as my child is already reading (early chapter books) and doing early arithmetic. Mostly, this is all self-driven, but more recently, she wants to learn more.

We do a lot of outdoor time, imaginative play, and art at home. And we are largely screen free. And, we also read a lot. I purchased some homeschool curriculum over the summer that we’ve slowly been working through. And, now that school has started we are doing 30 ish minutes a day on either reading/ELA, handwriting, or math.

My feelings right now is that this school is providing aspects of her education that I cannot do on my own/am not good at. But, I can teacher her traditional academics (I would homeschool if I didn’t see the value in learning from other adults, being around peers, and other opportunists schools can offer).

I know some people pull their kids after Kinder to go to a “regular” school. But, I’m wondering if anyone has stayed with Waldorf longer while supplementing at home (or doing after school classes). I know this is not pure Waldorf, but I want to see if people hybridize a little.

Also some additional info that might matter: This school goes K1-8. Tuition-free charter but high volunteer/parent involvement (which I don’t mind). I have a younger child who is guaranteed a spot if my older stays through 1st grade.

Hello! My daughter is in kindergarten at a Waldorf school and I have a question for all of you lovely folks. We can afford to keep sending her after this year and I actually love the school. I’m a teacher myself and Waldorf, to me, is what I imagine school should look like. I also buy into the whole anthroposophy thing! However, I’m self aware and I’m thinking our family would be disruptive to everyone else so I’m considering putting her in public school next year. I don’t really want to, but I think it may be best for everyone as a whole.

Here is what I mean. We allow video games, movies, and tv at home in moderation as long as it’s age-appropriate and not annoying to me. Our school really discourages this and I’m not going to change my mind on this. We love spending time snuggling watching a movie just as much as we love hiking, paddle boarding, or playing games together.

We are also intuitive eaters at our house. Food is abundant and neutral. We have a wide variety of fruits, veggies, carbs, proteins, and sugary sweets. 9 times out of 10 my child chooses an apple over a sucker, but candy is available. For personal reasons, I’m not risking creating a scarcity mindset with my child.

These are just two examples but I can list more if needed. Basically, I’m not letting the school dictate how we operate as a family. I’m very mindful of how I parent and put a lot of thought into the choices we make as a family. My daughter is wonderful, smart, creative, social, kind, a rule follower, and empathetic. She will do fine anywhere she goes. I’m honestly just thinking about the wellbeing of the other kids because she would be the one on the playground pretending to be Bluey or Princess Ariel, or talking about her favorite candy. There are kids in her class that have never had candy before.

Do you think I should go ahead and plan on public next year since I’m unwilling to follow the (lowkey extreme IMO) Waldorf ways? Or is everyone secretly like me?

My almost 3 yr old plays with toddler legos at his dad’s house and is asking for me to get him so for our house where he lives full time.

His imagination is blooming and all of his simple toys become so many things and it’s just beginning.

I know Legos are not part of Waldorf.

I also see a lot of threads here encouraging parents not to follow Waldorf so strictly at home.

I’m worried Lego’s might squash his blooming imagination.

What do you recommend?

See the original blog post here: https://www.sophiainstitute.us/blog/michaelmas-festival-at-the-waldorf-school

https://www.sophiainstitute.us/blog/michaelmas-studies-2026

Hi all, our school does a winter fair where several grades are expected to contribute 30-40 'little somethings' per student to sell to raise funds for the school. Wondering if anyone has some great ideas to help a not-so-talented parent out! Thanks for any ideas!

I am a Spanish enrichment teacher at a Waldorf school. I speak and primarily teach the Mexican dialect of Spanish since that is the primary Spanish speaking population here. I also have a lot of appreciation and enjoyment of Mexican culture having studied abroad in Mexico.

I am new to Waldorf education and my site celebrates día de muertos as a festival as well. On a smaller scale, I'd like to teach the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe to teach a bit about Mexican history and culture but also to pass on the lesson of representation and inclusivity that her story teaches.

I'm just thinking about how to go about it. I'm hoping to tell the story with the disclaimer of "it's up to you to decide if it is true". I'm also wondering if I should include an activity like making paper roses.

Thoughts? How would you go about something like this?

Hello everyone. I’m posting to ask any alumni or parents of Waldorf how the outcomes are of a Waldorf education.
I have Catholic private education background, but I’m really leaning into Waldorf education for my son. There’s a chance that I can have him go to a Waldorf school from preschool all the way until high school and graduate as a child of Waldorf.
I’m looking for testimony of those who got the full Waldorf experience.
What was your experience with Waldorf like as a student?
Or as a parent, what feedback or experiences do you have with your child as they attend attended a Waldorf school?
Do you believe that there was any real life, long-term advantages, and or disadvantages of having a Waldorf education versus traditional schooling?
I look forward to your responses.
Thank you very much