At this stage of their lives, children seek guidance and role models. For this reason, the Kindergarten at Waldorf Los Caracoles welcomes children from 2 to 6 years old. The younger ones look up to the older ones as guides, while the older children develop understanding and companionship with the younger ones. We design general activities for this group, as well as specific ones by age segments. The central axis of all activities planned by the teachers is a constant and healthy rhythm, since we know this element is essential for children in the first seven-year cycle. For them, rhythm means trust and knowing what comes next in their day and week. It provides security and the certainty that the adults around them offer exactly what they need.
Some of the daily activities in Kindergarten are:
The school day begins with a hike through the vegetable garden and farm area, nearly one hectare of land with spectacular views of the forest and mountains. This walk is a formative activity for the children’s lives. The children’s clothing is appropriate to ensure a pleasant and constructive experience, regardless of the weather.
Following the hike (or walk), the group arrives at the farm area to open and clean the pens, feed and water the animals, collect eggs, and carry out milking. The purpose is for the children to establish a close and genuine relationship with this natural realm, laying the foundations for their lifelong connection with animals. Afterwards, comes the work with the soil and vegetables garden: preparing the ground, planting, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and caring for it... Real work, in a real world.
In this playful space, social relationships, integration, imagination, and body awareness are cultivated. Individual and group interactions are established with all the elements present in the preschool classroom: gauze, silks, canvas, wooden easels, small logs and boards, hand-braided ropes, wool balls; colors, textures, sizes, and shapes of all kinds. It is also here where the richness of integrated groups takes shape, allowing children from 2 to 6 years olds to interact just as they do in real life, learning the foundations of respect, cooperation, and companionship.
The group teacher narrates various stories related to the world of fantasy and imagination. This space serves as a prelude to the nap for the youngest children, who are gently guided into sleep with the sounds of the lyre and lullabies. The middle-aged children rest in silence, while the older ones move on to classroom work areas designed especially for them.
The older children are taken to another classroom to engage in watercolor painting, finger knitting, crafts, and wax modeling. They are introduced to these activities by their classroom teachers, who guide them by demonstrating and sharing spaces and materials. The goal is to adapt the preschool experience to their age, as well as to prepare them for the transition to Elementary School.