Parent and Child classes provide a gentle and nurturing place where families come together once a week to explore ways to protect the grace, magic and wonder of the first three years of childhood.

This program is based on the writings of Rudolf Steiner and the practices of LifeWays Training® and the Emmi Pickler Institute, and is supported by contemporary early childhood research. The aim is to immerse the young child in an environment that supports healthy age appropriate sensory, social and emotional development.

The morning offers activities such as bread making, butter churning, circle rhymes, verses, songs and interactive games, a puppet story, and indoor and outdoor play. Parents have the opportunity to learn to knit and to work on simple craft projects. Everyone shares in a snack of delicious, organic fresh-baked bread, tea and fruit.

Each session includes a brief discussion on various parenting and child development topics such as play, discipline, rhythm and routines, sleep, nutrition and media. Parents are encouraged to read, share their insights, request topics and ask questions. Specific individual concerns can be briefly addressed during outdoor play, and in some detail, early before class or on Thursday morning by appointment. In depth group discussions take place three Saturdays per year when parents (without their children) gather for two hours to discuss a pre-agreed upon topic.

The Parent Child Fall Session begins on September 22. All Fall sessions are now fully-enrolled.  Regularly scheduled Parent Child (one to three years of age) classes take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  Winter enrollment will begin in late-October.  For more information, please contact Carol Proctor at ext. 129 or proctorc@waldorfgarden.org.  

• Click here to download the Parent-Child 2008-2009 Schedule.