Waldorf Toys and Learning Theory

How Natural Playthings Build Imagination and Creativity

Jan 17, 2008 Jennifer White

Parents looking for an approach to play that's educational and wholesome should look no further than Waldorf toys. These natural toys stimulate the mind and imagination.

The philosophy of Waldorf education goes beyond the classroom walls and into the everyday lives of children. A big part of their lives revolves around the toys and activities with which they play. Waldorf toys, also called Waldorf-inspired toys, encourage an approach to education and play that stimulates activity, imagination, and creativity.

Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy: Brief Overview

Rudolf Steiner gave birth to the Waldorf philosophy of education following World War I. He championed a method of learning that embraced the “whole child.” Waldorf education acknowledges the unique physical, academic, behavioral, emotional, and spiritual needs of children. Lovingly and gently, Waldorf education cultivates those needs through activity and imagination. Steiner said, "Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings, who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives." (AWSNA)

How His Educational Theory Influences Playtime

As children develop, the means for achieving this goal adapts to the children’s unique abilities. For toddlers and young children, Waldorf education is tightly entwined with inspiring imaginative free play and artistic activity. Common play activities with young children include dramatic play, retellings of nursery rhymes and fairy tales, playing with Waldorf dolls, crafting with watercolors or beeswax crayons, and free play. Not only are batteries not included in the toys, they simply are not needed.

Features of Waldorf Toys

• Open-ended and unstructured. Children do not need to be taught how to play with Waldorf toys. Playtime is kept unstructured. Children are led in play by their own minds and thought processes. Toys are meant to inspire children’s imagination, not to stifle or limit their creativity.
• Multi-purpose and versatile. Toys in Waldorf homes grow with the child. Consider blocks as an example. Babies play with the blocks by banging them together and exploring them with their senses. Young toddlers delight in stacking the blocks in a tower and knocking them over. Older preschoolers use their imagination to create buildings or design patterns from the shapes. These toys offer a longevity of use and duality of play.
• Made of natural materials. Waldorf toys have simplicity of design. Constructed of wood, fabrics, beeswax, or items from nature, children fill in the blanks with their own minds. Children enjoy the smell, the sight, and the texture of these toys.
• Lacking of commercialism. Unlike the common result of modern children’s toys, the Waldorf philosophy emphasizes that less is more. Parents are discouraged from rushing out and “buying it all.” The belief that with just a few quality toys, children will naturally push their imaginations to create greater meaning and purpose.

Justifying the Cost

Because of the craftsmanship and the quality of materials used, Waldorf-inspired toys occasionally have a price tag that leaves parents shaking their heads. However, parents need to reflect on the above-mentioned points to help them understand the cost. Waldorf toys are durable and long lasting. Parents should be reminded that many of the toys advocated by Waldorf education can be handmade. Children will play with the limited selection of toys they have at wonderful benefit to their cognitive and physical development.

Even for parents who do not entirely embrace Steiner’s educational beliefs, their child will still grow from exposure to Waldorf toys. For these families, they may wish to find a balance between “modern, commercialized” toys and the natural, kid-powered toys associated with Waldorf education.

For further reading on natural toys: Natural Valentine's Gifts for Kids, Educational and Cheap Toddler Toys, and Presents for Three-Year-Old Boys: Unique Preschooler and Toddler Boy Gift Ideas

For further reading on learning theory: Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Diane E. Eyer. Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn. 2003.

Resources:

Personal interview. Marianne of Natural toys handmade by Tomtemama. January 17, 2008.

Rahima Baldwin Dancy. What is Waldorf Education? December 1, 2004.

Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) Accessed: January 17, 2008.

The copyright of the article Waldorf Toys and Learning Theory in Kids Products is owned by Jennifer White. Permission to republish Waldorf Toys and Learning Theory in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Waldorf Inspired Doll