We’ve recently started our second term at a Steiner Playgroup that is held at the Steiner school about 20 minutes from where we live.
We are enjoying it. It’s perfect for us for this year. Annika loves it. It’s a very warm and nurturing environment , very child centred and expressive. The aspect of daily rhythms and rituals and celebrating festivals is something I find particularly grounding, and we’re looking forward to the school fair and winter festival activities over the next month.
Of a morning, we gather together in a circle and holding hands sing our welcome song
Good Morning, Good Morning, Good morning to you
Good Morning, Good Morning and how do you do
I love you, I love you, I love you I do,
I love you, I love you, and you love me too.
Good Morning dear sun
Good Morning dear earth
Fish in the water, and birds in the air
Good morning dear flowers,
Good morning tall trees
Good morning to you, and good morning to me.
Once upon a time, was it here, was it there
Come with me… come let’s see
We then go into a typical Steiner playroom, the children sit on the cushions that are waiting for them, and watch and listen to a verbal ‘story’. These stories are changed every three weeks and are related to the seasons, or a particular event. The children are generally enchanted with the little puppets and scenes. Afterwards, we sing songs and rhymes and then go to the table to make bread. Once the bread is in the oven, we go outside for outdoor play, which is in the sandpit, or on the grass. There is a small vegetable garden and the children tend to enjoy filling up the watering cans and giving the plants a drink. Sometimes we wander over to see the Chickens that live in a different part of the school.
Gentle singing indicating it’s time to pack away and go inside for indoor play, all the mums join in this harmonious call to tidy up, the children following our lead to go indoors. Once inside we have morning tea, fresh fruit which we all bring, and our delicious fresh baked wholemeal bread rolls with butter. Once we’re finished, it’s time for indoor play for the children who busy themselves with the toys and each other, whilst the mums chat , clean up and do some craft – normally a simple stitched toy using felt.
Towards the end of the two hours, we again join in a circle and sing our goodbyes, before putting on our boots and heading home.
So far the exposure we are getting at playgroup and learning I have done helps me reflect on the influences I am willing to have form part of our lives, be it people, media, whatever, and to consider what they can add or detract from our experience. I think this is a positive and helpful approach and is really just a version of mindfulness. It feels very similar to my Yoga practice in a lot of ways. As does the element of rhythm. In fact one book I was reading referred to the rhythms are ‘breathing in’ and ‘breathing out’ – i.e. time for quiet activities, followed by more active and physical play, being indoors, going outside etc. It just has a flow and sustainability that I find useful to think (and live) in those terms. I get the vibe (from books and blogs interestingly, not the actual people I interact with!) that there are aspects of Steiner that can be really prescriptive, but I’m not bothered by that so much, I’m not out to tick all the boxes, and we won’t be getting rid of our television any time soon.
And honestly, some of it I just don’t understand – it can be vague and difficult to gain any meaning from, but someone wise once told me when I had similar feelings about something else, to just ‘take what you need right now, and leave the rest’.
So that’s what I’m doing.
Thanks for being part of my mama tribe
Becks xxx
