Kinderforest
We are fully human only while playing, and we play only when we are human in the truest sense of the word.
- Rudolf Steiner
Kinderforest Program
Ages 3–6
Program Groups
Our Kinderforest Program brings together two mixed-age groups:
Buttercups (Ages 3–4)
Hawthorns (Ages 5–6)
Together, they form a warm, rhythmic early childhood community rooted in nature, imagination, and practical life.
Weekly Schedule
Monday–Thursday
Buttercups: 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Hawthorns: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
Enrollment Options: 3 or 4 days per week
Care Options: Early drop-off + aftercare available
Our Daily Rhythm
Mornings: Preschoolers and Kindergarteners unite for joyful play and creative crafts, fostering a sense of community.
Circle Time: They then part for age-appropriate circle activities, nurturing their distinct needs and development.
Lunch and Snack: Midmorning brings everyone back together for a nourishing meal, strengthening bonds.
Storytime: Once again, they temporarily separate for captivating story sessions, each group engaging in stories tailored to their age.
Play and Snack: Reuniting, they enjoy more playtime and another satisfying snack, fostering camaraderie.
Farewells and Workshops: As the day draws to a close, preschoolers bid their goodbyes while Kindergarteners delve into enriching workshops for an additional hour of growth and exploration.
Our Philosophy
Heartsong’s Kinderforest grows out of a love for children and a love for the natural world.
From birth to age seven, young children learn in a dream-like, embodied way. Rhythm, repetition, and imitation are their primary tools for learning. Our role as teachers is to create a nurturing environment, offer a steady daily rhythm, and model calm, purposeful work—so children can meet life with confidence and joy.
Our Core Pillars
Kinderforest is centered around the farm, gardens, and forest. We gather in the protected warmth of a 40-ft greenhouse with a wood-burning stove, then spend generous time outdoors in all seasons—following the weather, the land, and the needs of the group.
Nature as the Classroom
Indoor and outdoor play are the foundation of our program. Indoors, children meet simple, natural materials—cotton and wool dolls, wooden items, silk and wool cloths, seeds, shells, and found objects—so imagination can lead. Outdoors, the garden, fields, forest, and our shallow seasonal creek invite endless movement, mud, water play, and discovery. Through play, children develop social skills, problem solving, early numeracy, cooperation, balance, and coordination.
Play that Builds the Whole Child
Story is a central thread in Kinderforest. Teachers tell animal stories, nature stories, and simple fairy tales from around the world. Stories and puppet plays meet children where they are developmentally—supporting emotional processing, offering gentle guidance, and affirming the goodness of the world
Story as Nourishment
We sing throughout the day—songs for the season, for transitions, for gathering, for joy. Song helps children move smoothly between activities and creates a shared sense of warmth and belonging.
Song and Seasonal Rhythm
Children experience art through wet-on-wet watercolor painting, modeling with colored wax, and drawing with natural beeswax crayons. Nature crafts using farm-found materials are woven in seasonally. Some creations go home; many are ephemeral—returning to the earth, just as they came.
Art as Process
Meals are a peaceful and meaningful part of our day. Children sit together with teachers, wash hands, light a candle, and sing before eating lunches brought from home. It is a time to rest, connect, and feel nourished together.
Mealtime as a Social Practice
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