Welcome to Rainbow Nursery School
Rainbow Nursery School is a Waldorf inspired home-based playgroup setting for children 2 ½ to 4 years old. As the young child approaches the age of three they pass through an important developmental threshold and begin to refer to themselves as “I” – no longer by their name. This is a sign that in their awakening consciousness they feel to be a separate entity to mother and close caregivers. Prior to this there was a sense of no separation. With this developmental milestone the young child is now ready to spend some time away from home and start their own little life. However at this point it is vital to maintain the feeling of warmth and the domesticity of family life. To facilitate this children can start by attending school 3 days a week. Once the child has settled they can move to 4 attendance days and finally 5 days of the week.
Rainbow Nursery School endeavours to provide a homely small group environment where the child can be nurtured with warmth and they are able to explore gradually at their own pace, the play environment and discover how to socialise with other children.
Importance of Play
With this in mind, I provide a rhythmical morning that breathes easily and always with a long stretch of self-directed ,teacher facilitated free play time in the first part of the morning. The Waldorf approach acknowledges that play in the natural activity of early childhood. It is the way the child engages with the world around them, digests the sensory information and makes it part of themselves on many levels. This information then provides the foundational content for their play. The young child’s play goes through particular stages based on the child’s development.
Learning Through Imitation
The adults strive to be worthy of imitation. We are mindful to interact with the children in a warm, friendly, and firm manner. We are always busy and purposeful around the children with domestic tasks that children love to participate in – gardening, sweeping, cleaning, preparing fruit and vegetables and creating artistically.
Group Activities
Parents can expect to notice a change in the being of their child at home. Reports are often shared that children are calmer; often sing to themselves; their toys seem to take on new imaginative meaning; they enter into meaningful play on their own; they love to join in with the domestic tasks at home; they notice things in the natural environment around them.