AGES 1-5
Our Waldorf-trained teachers support learning through play and purposeful activity rather than early academic pressure.
Early Childhood Programs
At Waldorf School of Bend, we honor Steiner’s understanding that young children learn through their bodies and senses long before they learn through books. Story, song, art, and imaginative play fill our days, nourishing the senses and forming a quiet foundation for clear thinking later on.
Surrounded by purposeful work and warm, expressive language they grow steady and confident. By first grade they meet new intellectual challenges with eagerness and inner calm.
Our early childhood teachers weave the Waldorf approach into daily life through simple, intentional practices. They guide the rhythm of the day with calm consistency and create an environment where children can imitate purposeful work like cooking, cleaning, gardening, and handcrafts. Teachers tell stories, lead songs and movement games, and offer rich opportunities for imaginative play with natural materials.
EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMS
AGES 1-3
Toddler Program
A warm, nurturing space where children are held with tenderness and steady rhythm.
Our Toddler Program offers a heartfelt first experience of school for children ages 1–3. Rooted in Waldorf principles, the day follows a gentle rhythm of play, rest, nourishment, and connection. Children are welcomed into a calm, home-like space where they can explore at their own pace with the support of caring teachers.
Each day includes free play with natural materials, time outdoors in all seasons, songs, simple stories, and sensory-rich crafts. These experiences nurture early development while deepening each child’s relationship with the natural world.
PROGRAM OFFERING
8:30 am - 1:00 pm : Monday - Friday
DAILY RHYTHM
Our teachers provide a daily rhythm that holds your child with security and comfort, but also allows space for soft transitions, play and wonder.
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Arrival + gentle movement / stretching or greeting
Outdoor play (regardless of weather)
Circle time (includes singing and fingerplay)
Free indoor play with natural materials
Snack and clean-up together
Story-time / circle with song & verse
Artistic or craft work (simple hand-work)
Practical activity (cooking, baking, gardening)
Quiet rest or book-time
End-of-day tidying, songs or verses, goodbye circle
AGES 3-4
Pre-Kindergarten
A supportive environment where early learning unfolds through play, rhythm and connection.
The preschool is a true home away from home, where the smell of fresh bread, the warmth of quiet singing and the comfort of steady routines help children ease into their time away from home.
Our Waldorf early childhood teachers guide the day with a strong yet gentle rhythm that gives children time to play, share meals, rest, listen to stories and rhymes, and spend long stretches outdoors. Classrooms and play yards are filled with natural materials that invite imagination and sensory exploration. The environment is screen and media-free so the senses can develop in a wholesome, unhurried way.
PROGRAM OFFERINGS
HALF DAY - 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays
FULL DAY - 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays
DAILY RHYTHM
Our teachers provide a daily rhythm that holds your child with security and comfort, but also allows space for soft transitions, play and wonder.
-
Arrival + gentle movement / stretching or greeting
Outdoor play (regardless of weather)
Circle time (includes singing and fingerplay)
Free indoor play with natural materials
Snack and clean-up together
Story-time / circle with song & verse
Artistic or craft work (simple hand-work)
Practical activity (cooking, baking, gardening)
Quiet rest or book-time
End-of-day tidying, songs or verses, goodbye circle
AGES 3-6
Mixed Age Kindergarten
Calm daily rhythm that gives children a sense of security, with room for gentle transitions and wonder.
In our Mixed-Age Kindergarten, children begin to sense the gentle rhythms of school life, there are times for free play and times for coming together in shared activity. Through these natural shifts, they learn cooperation, patience and the early social skills that form the groundwork for healthy learning.
Classrooms and play yards are filled with natural materials that invite wonder and creativity. The environment is entirely screen-free and media-free, giving the senses space to develop in a wholesome, unhurried way, supporting the deep imaginative play that is the heart of Waldorf early childhood education.
PROGRAM OFFERINGS
HALF DAY - 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Monday - Friday
FULL DAY - 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Monday - Friday
DAILY RHYTHM
Our teachers provide a daily rhythm that holds your child with security and comfort, but also allows space for soft transitions, play and wonder.
-
Arrival + gentle movement / stretching or greeting
Outdoor play (regardless of weather)
Circle time (includes singing and fingerplay)
Free indoor play with natural materials
Snack and clean-up together
Story-time / circle with song & verse
Artistic or craft work (simple hand-work)
Practical activity (cooking, baking, gardening)
Quiet rest or book-time
End-of-day tidying, songs or verses, goodbye circle
HOW TO ENROLL
We’d love to help you find the program that best supports your child’s next stage of growth. Reach out to connect with our Early Childhood faculty or admissions team.
Our Parents’
Experience