I have just started my little boy at my local Steiner Playgroup for mums and toddlers. I have meaning to go for a while and I am so glad I have finally taken the step and gone along. Before I had Alex I promised myself wouldn't buy him loads of cheap plastic toys and books about TV characters, but over the last few months as he has become harder to please I have found myself giving in to 'screen time', and annoying talking books started entering the house. My home was starting to look like someone elses! So a couple of weeks ago I made a stand against myself and enroled him in the playgroup in an attempt to inspire me to change my lazy ways and help Alex find some calm.
The minute I entered the school I felt so relaxed. Everything was in natural colours and just so simple and earthy. There were of course a great selection of Grimm's stacking toys, silk scarves, and Waldorf dolls. And even though he did spend the first 15 minutes climbing up and down the stairs shouting proudly, even Alex became relaxed in this new chilled environment. I even got some time to sit and make a Christmas Orange and Clove decoration whilst he played quietly with a wooden duck...... result!
Anyway, I promise I am not going to turn Moon to Moon into a parenting blog but just wanted to share my reasoning for these photos of Steiner/Waldorf playrooms. I am sure there will be plenty of plastic in my future as he grows up, but for now whilst I can still have an element of control over his toys I am going to stick to natural fibers...
Next time we are making Waldorf dolls, so who knows, maybe I will be making all his toys :)
I work in nurseries and schools, and have to say I find the bright colours of plastic toys and primary colour displays too harsh. In my current nursery the home corner is wooden and it makes such a difference.
ReplyDeleteI am pregnant and Hubby and I both agree that wooden, more natural toys are preferable to bright plastics. Although with the business of life, we must forgive ourselves if some creep in.
I am in the process of upcycling a cot, which has some little wooden animals on springs on it. I can't decide what to do with them, maybe you could offer some advice: http://www.homemadebyhail.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/nursery-furniture.html
Any advice or suggestions would be fab!
Thanks
www.homemadebyhail.blogspot.co.uk
the longer you can hold off the garish, valueless stuff from the marketed world, the better things will be later...i found that holding the line in our home for those crucial early years made a huge difference in later childhood and perhaps beyond. :)
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