Into the Meadow

Oh to be lost in a sea of yellow,

just for a short while.

To gaze on skies of blue,

listening to the laughter of you.

The warm sun shining down,

kissing cheeks, pink like roses.

Meadow grass, tickling our toes and noses.

Flowers for the bees, for the table. Buttercups underneath your chin.

Laying beneath the vast open sky.

Trains, snails and elephants in the clouds passing by.

Oh to be lost in a meadow so yellow,

Just for a short time.

Listening to your laughter, knowing you are mine 💛

~Kelly Ellis-Radahd~

I am always looking for ways to capture memories, in photography, in paint, poetry, song and stories and today was a beautiful one. Just a small moment I wanted to freeze in time.

I wrote this poem yesterday to go with the pictures from our trip to the meadow. Words and feelings to frame alongside beautiful visuals of memories.

#thewaywewaldorf#waldorfathome#poetry#poetryaboutchildren#meadowpoetry#newpoetry#naturepoetry#memories#moments#buttercuppoetry#meadow

Storytelling and Waldorf Early Childhood Education

Waldorf early childhood education prides itself on building a language rich environment through thoughtful caring social interaction, through the tradition of Oral storytelling, of rhyme, verse and song. The Kindergarten day reflecting a rich tapestry of spoken words between children and adults.... When we weave words in everything we do, they take on deep meaning, they connect to experiences, they bring joy.

You can bring this into your homes, with simple nursery rhymes, providing little puppets or props to encourage language development (like here the little one is singing the grand old duke of York with a little puppet), linking certain songs to certain parts of your day, and giving words powerful connections through simple stories.

I’ve had many people the past weeks say how difficult they find storytelling. It doesn’t have to be, it can be a simple re-telling of an event from your childhood, or your child’s childhood, something as simple as the time you went to the park, saw a squirrel and came home and had tea.

I as a child remember the stories my Nanna told me so vividly - more so than all the books I ever was read or have read - the connection a child forms listening to a story from the heart of another is so deep and meaningful. If you don’t already, take the opportunity at bedtime tonight to retell a simple event from your child’s past or yours. In a world so very full of distractions let’s connect like we have done as human beings for thousands of years.😊 Have a wonderful evening everybody.

The magic of open ended resources

A wall, a piece of wood and a wooden peg doll.

When you look at this image what do you see? It looks quite simple on the surface, but the deep thought processes that went into willing this little part of the little ones imagination into play is beautifully complex and only able to come to fruition because of the nature of the open ended resources available to her.

When she picked up the piece of wood and began to rest it against the wall, she started the process of problem solving and early maths, not only finding a piece of render to place the wood on as it was sliding down the smooth brick, but placing the wood at the right angle so it was able to be a ‘slide’. Social skills were present as she chatted to her little character, moving it along the top of the wall, before it went on the slide. ‘Weeeeee’ it said as it slid to the bottom.

Open ended toys which leave room for the imagination are the corner stone of play in Steiner Waldorf early childhood education. Should I have given the little one a toy slide, a prefabricated set, she would not have had the same opportunity to will such complex processes into being, to experience cause and effect as a whole process of her own making and to experience the magic of living through imaginative play.