Featured Article: Once Upon A Time In Kindergarten
12-12-2008
By Michelle Bordelon, Kindergarten Teacher
It all begins with a story.
The stories in the kindergarten shape the curriculum
as well as contain all the magic. Through our stories
we have found the secret of the little red house with
no windows and no doors and a star inside. We have followed
the journey of the kite up to the heavens and its return
to its young creator as a sword. We discovered, along
with the little fairy, what the egg laid by the sun really
was. We had to listen closely for the whispers among the
trees and were saddened when the great mother tree fell
to the forest floor. We also learned that a pair of turkeys
saved the seeds from the great flood. And, of course,
the Three Little Pigs always huff and puff their way into
our play.
Our Waldorf kindergarten provides lots of time for imaginative
play indoors and outdoors. I am treated daily with hot
chocolate and whipped cream, all varieties of cupcakes,
nut soups, ice cream, and bread all concocted from our
"play" kitchen. We have a beautiful fairy house,
completely furnished, and a real sand tray full of sea
treasures. Our big, hollow, wooden blocks are an eternal
source of creativity. I have also seen some of the finest
castles ever built, complete with kings, queens, villagers,
and all of their animal friends.
In our kindergarten, we play games like "Hide It
in the Hole", "A Pattern (or Letter) on My Back",
"Mystery Box", and "Pretzel Letters".
Right now, we are in "mouse training" where
we are attempting to train beanbags to run to the top
of the house (our heads) and into our hand "basket".
We turn nice, warm beeswax into apples, pumpkins, and
butterflies. We dip our "fairy wand" brushes,
wipe the feet, and let the color fairies play. We have
even been known to finger paint with pudding! (Chocolate,
of course!)
And then there's SNACK!
I'll bet you never knew how many things there are to
eat that begin with the letter "P"!
If it sounds like fun, it IS! And through it all, the
children are gently introduced, in an alive and beautiful
way, to the world of letters, numbers, patterns, and the
world around them. Most of all, they learn to hold hands
and sing, even when they disagree. That's the part I like
best.
