Advice on Waldorf "inspired" home daycare? - Page 2

[NoliMum]

Originally Posted by Aubergine68

I have an apple peeler and the toddlers and preschooler will use it all day if possible. I canned quarts of applesauce from the apples they peeled -- I'd love to have more than one peeler!

The copyright information is interesting, thanks for sharing.

Like this? DD absolutely loves it!!

[Aubergine68]

Originally Posted by NoliMum

Like this? DD absolutely loves it!!

This is the one we have

Where did you get yours? I can't see all of it, but it looks really sturdy and a little simpler than ours.

[NoliMum]

Originally Posted by Aubergine68

This is the one we have

Where did you get yours? I can't see all of it, but it looks really sturdy and a little simpler than ours.

Mine was a hand-me-down but the original owner bought it from Pampered Chef. It is actually exactly the same as yours, but with a C-clamp instead of a suction cup on the bottom.

[AngelBee]

Any suggestions for incorporating outdoor play in the middle of winter? I live in MN and just can not figure out how to do this realistically with littles. Granted....I am not a big outdoors girl to being with, so it may partically be motivation : , but it is COLD outside!


Like the last couple of days where freezing! Like 10 degrees.

How do you make that work?

Is there something I could be doing to substitute like play near a curtainless window or something? :

[counterGOPI]

not sure if this will help but my 3yo goes out no matter what weather. today it was -17 with the wind chill factor and she was still out. she only goes out though if 1 of our dogs goes out with her. my baby and i stay inside and watch her from the window while getting housework done. but yeah so its the dogs that get her outside

[Aubergine68]

I cannot go outside leaving babies inside or send preschoolers outside without me. This is per agency rules - I would personally be ok with my own preschoolers outside in the back yard with me watching, but I can't do that with other people's children.

So the cold tolerances of the littlest bodies are my limiting factor. We usually would make it out at 10 F, but not much colder than that.

It helps to have a reason to go outside.

If it is really, really cold outside you can blow bubbles with bubble solution and they freeze. Very interesting.

[NoliMum]

Originally Posted by Aubergine68

I cannot go outside leaving babies inside or send preschoolers outside without me. This is per agency rules - I would personally be ok with my own preschoolers outside in the back yard with me watching, but I can't do that with other people's children.

So the cold tolerances of the littlest bodies are my limiting factor. We usually would make it out at 10 F, but not much colder than that.

It helps to have a reason to go outside.

If it is really, really cold outside you can blow bubbles with bubble solution and they freeze. Very interesting.

I would love to try that sometime! (the bubbles thing)

Of course we rarely get below 20F around here, but I think it's important to remember to dress yourself warm enough. I will bundle up my DC just fine, but I don't own a good winter coat. So when I get outside, I am immediately miserable. This makes it easy to find excuses to stay indoors, and then my poor girl doesn't have outside time for several days in a row!

[NoliMum]

Originally Posted by AngelBee

Is there something I could be doing to substitute like play near a curtainless window or something? :

I think that is perfectly suitable, especially if you bring outdoor items inside. Set up a nature area with plenty of sticks/rocks/pinecones and open the curtains, light a fire, make some nice tea or cider... I have wonderful memories from childhood of staying cozy indoors while enjoying the view out the window of the rain or snow.

[Aubergine68]

Originally Posted by earthmama4

I find that the difference between a traditional classroom and a waldorf classroom has a lot to do with color. I am trying to stay with softer, natural colors rather than the ubiquitious primary colors that are in most early childhood programs. Its easy to get sucked into the world of brights! Natural materials keep you away from that too much. I also like mix and match baskets on a shelf filled with natural toys and item. I realized that everything doesn't have to perfectly match in a Waldorf classroom, but the overall feeling should be warmth, order, beauty. That is my goal for my classroom.

I was thinking about this comment.

I have been trying to move away from the primary colors as well, as much because I've been in early-childhood mode since the late 90s and I'm getting a little tired of the "decorated by fisher price" look as because of the desire to have more natural materials around my home and children.

I have been looking around my home with a critical eye...

I've been recovering some beanbag chairs and cushions with softer colors and am happy with how that looks. I have a canopy with a pvc pipe frame that I drape silks and parachutes over for a playhouse, and I've been sewing sleeves for the pipe out of canvas I already have on hand to soften the plastic look. I can't justify the budget to replace that with something like wood playstands at this time, but will be yard-saling for something that might work.

I have a really sturdy and functional train table with Thomas logos all over it, which is going to be repainted this summer. My dh made a wooden insert for it to replace the logo Island of Sodor tabletop which is finished with a clear finish but left the natural wood color.

The other major block of primary color left in my playspaces are the interlocking foam mats on the playroom floor. They are wonderfully functional, keep the uncarpeted lino-flooring-on-concrete floor warm and soft and safe for tumbling and active play. We need that, since we live in a cold climate and sometimes can't make it outside for weeks on end in the bitterest cold.

But the bright reds, yellows, blues and greens are setting my teeth on edge.

Anyone have any good "natural material" or even just "softer color" suggestions for replacing or covering up that flooring material? I have to cover an area that is about 20 feet square and would prefer not to do wall-to-wall carpet. I don't think carpet alone would be soft enough --maybe carpet on top of the mats?

I saw a giant shaggy 100% wool carpet at a yard sale for a song a few years ago and passed it up because it was slightly stained and I didn't have a way to get it home. Really regretting that....

[earthmama4]

Originally Posted by Aubergine68

Anyone have any good "natural material" or even just "softer color" suggestions for replacing or covering up that flooring material? I have to cover an area that is about 20 feet square and would prefer not to do wall-to-wall carpet. I don't think carpet alone would be soft enough --maybe carpet on top of the mats?

I saw a giant shaggy 100% wool carpet at a yard sale for a song a few years ago and passed it up because it was slightly stained and I didn't have a way to get it home. Really regretting that....

What about this http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10093942 from IKEA. Its a wool flokati rug just like you described and is a very good deal for the price (trust me I've been looking, its half what I've seen at "discount" stores) I think it would make very nice natural soft flooring.

[earthmama4]

Also, just an update on my daycare status. We pulled up the carpet discovered some water damage in our sunroom's subfloor and are in the process of replacing that. Its been a cascade effect, the more we pull up, the more we have to replace. Arrrg...this may take a while. : DH is working his tail off bless his heart.

I am working on getting my thrift-store finds in shape. And I was thinking of dyeing some playsilks with kool-aid. Anyone know a good resource for undyed silks?

[NoliMum]

Originally Posted by earthmama4

Also, just an update on my daycare status. We pulled up the carpet discovered some water damage in our sunroom's subfloor and are in the process of replacing that. Its been a cascade effect, the more we pull up, the more we have to replace. Arrrg...this may take a while. : DH is working his tail off bless his heart.

I am working on getting my thrift-store finds in shape. And I was thinking of dyeing some playsilks with kool-aid. Anyone know a good resource for undyed silks?

Dharma Trading Co is great for undyed silks. I dyed mine with food coloring and we really enjoy them. They find a purpose every day!

I am actually posting right now on my laptop from the local play place and I have SO many ideas to create a better one! The employees here all have their kids with them (how awesome that they have found a job that doesn't separate them from their children!) but unfortunately I find myself babysitting inadvertently! I bring my daughter to play here and then I have to manage the others who are playing around us. Often they play too rough or are rude to my DD, or they'll need help with something, and their moms are just standing at the counter chatting. : I did not pay admission to watch their kids!!

Anyway, when we come here I am so inspired to open a play place that is better managed and has a much more calm/natural atmosphere.

[Aubergine68]

Thanks for the link to the Ikea rug...I think I'd need several of them to cover the area I want..maybe I could link them together somehow? I think I'd like to have several 5 by 7 rugs rather than one huge unwieldy 20 food square one.

Originally Posted by earthmama4

Also, just an update on my daycare status. We pulled up the carpet discovered some water damage in our sunroom's subfloor and are in the process of replacing that. Its been a cascade effect, the more we pull up, the more we have to replace. Arrrg...this may take a while. : DH is working his tail off bless his heart.

I am working on getting my thrift-store finds in shape. And I was thinking of dyeing some playsilks with kool-aid. Anyone know a good resource for undyed silks?

Sorry to hear about your renovation woes...it often cascades like that, doesn't it? We redid our basement after some floods and had to put a lot more into mold-proofing our home than we thought we'd have to at the outset.

I second Dharma Trading. Even with the Cdn dollar and shipping/customs costs, it is STILL reasonably cheap. I just did a bunch of silks, the 35 inch square ones and some canopies, including some for a preschool I'm involved with. I used mostly paste food coloring, because I couldn't find any koolaid colors besides orange, pink and purple -- also did some in tea, which turned out a lovely golden color.. I also have used the Rit dyes for a few silks in darker/brighter colors that my dd wanted for her room -- I'd like to make a moon and stars canopy and will use Rit for the deep blue, probably.

I bought a couple in heavy weights -- so luxurious!

My next Dharma purchase will includ some handkerchief sized ones for juggling, etc. and a few chiffon 35 inch squares. And maybe some chiffon material to make a canopy.

Ok, I have a question, Nolimom (or anyone). What would be the indoor large motor activities in a Waldorf-inspired childcare/play place? My two younger children are boys and really NEED a lot of exercise, especially when we can't get outside due to bitter cold. When we go to any play space, they are all over the indoor play climbing structure, which usually looks a lot like the ones in outdoor playgrounds, except for the swings. I don't know if I would pay money to go to a play place that didn't have a climbing structure like that to really physically challenge and wear them out, honestly.

Here we have little tikes slides and teeter totters, riding toys, ball pit balls in an old dinghy, Rodi horse and hop balls, all of which are primary colored and plasticky. I'd love to phase out at least some of these as indoor toys. Would you use these in your daycares/play places or something else? What kind of things would substitute?

I do have a twin bed mattress, covered in white mattress covers front and back which is used constantly as a jumping place -- I'd like to get some sheets for it and tye dye them or something. I also have a Bag-the-bed king sized bean-bag type chair, which was expensive but is great kid furniture and serves as a mountain/climbing place. I also have some old couch cushions covered in fabric.

[NoliMum]

Aubergine, At my apartment we obviously don't have room to house a play structure. However, there is a community playground in the complex which I make use of. We also take "nature walks" around the 'plex because it's got a lot of trees and low brick walls for climbing. (Unfortunately there's also a lot of dog poop! I complained to the office.) Indoors, we do stretching games, wrestling matches (with DD; I don't feel comfortable wrestling with other children), and jumping on pillows. There really isn't much room for anything else. When I start bringing more kids into the apartment for childcare, I'll probably have outdoor time at least twice a day so they can exercise their gross motor skills.

If/when we open up a play place (this could be many years in the future but we're researching all it involves now) we would set up an outdoors-style structure probably, like this play house. We also might have a climbing wall or something, and definitely a mat/cushion area for lots of jumping and tumbling. Unfortunately most tumbling mats are made with primary colors, but I'm sure a canvas cover could be sewn up pretty easily.

In my dream play space, I'd love to have an outdoor area, too, with a play structure maybe, but mostly just lots of tree stumps, wooden planks, large rocks, etc. for natural play. Of course all of this stuff would be inspected frequently to make sure it is safe.

But for now, we'll just have to navigate the complex grounds and try not to step on dog poop.

[Aubergine68]

Originally Posted by NoliMum

But for now, we'll just have to navigate the complex grounds and try not to step on dog poop.

I so hear you about that...I started doing childcare while on my mat leave with my first. 10 years ago, I was taking my dd and my friend's toddler to the playground in our apartment complex, which was separated from the garbage dumpsters by only a fence. Extremely stinky in hot weather and not a thing could be done about it : Not so much dog poop, but way too many cig butts on the ground....Lots of benefits to an urban area, so much to interest children, so much that they can learn, but hard to deal with so much that is just not child-friendly.

I guess I'm in a little bit of a different place than most of you on this thread. I have been doing a full-blown home daycare business for 7 years now. I am established in my community and turning away potential clients for lack of space. I've had two more children while running my home childcare and am now looking to the future, when they are a little older. Instead of going back to work outside the home, I'd like to maximize my income potential through the home daycare, because I love the work and it is a great fit for my family life. I am taking courses towards an early childhood certification that would qualify me to be a preschool teacher here, and reorganizing/upgrading my home daycare equipment and practices in preparation for offering a really excellent program (and raising my fees )in a couple of years when my middle child is in elementary and my youngest is 4.

I first learned about Waldorf practices about two years ago. I have learned from other philosophies as well, and I don't think I would ever want to get a strictly Waldorf certification/education. I think Waldorf is a beautiful way to live and raise children. I think it would resonate very strongly with prospective clients, as well as being good for my own family, if I could incorporate a lot of the signature Waldorf ideas in my home.

I've been working on this gradually over the past year or so. So far, I've eliminated a lot of the visual "noise" in my home, like the educational posters, the Little People empire, the MIC "character" toys and books and costumes, bright red beanbag chair covers, etc. I've replaced toy storage plastic bins with baskets, and just plain gotten rid of a lot of toys, focusing on quality, and ideally handmade quality, with what I've kept. We started spending as much time as possible outside, and started doing nature walks in the bush near our house. But it gets below zero F here for days or even weeks on end in winter, and most of my daycare children right now are super-active boys, hence my obsession with indoor large motor activities .

We've been using more natural/organic/local foods, done more scratch cooking with the children, and have begun using natural materials in crafts and activities whenever possible. I made a deal with a local beekeeper at the farmers market last week to buy some beeswax, and raw honeycomb, which I'll use as a science activity with the children -- and maybe I'll figure out how to make homemade modeling wax! Will be going next month to visit my aunt's farm, near a woolen mill and I plan to arrange to pick up some roving to dye, some wool, felting supplies and maybe a raw fleece. They also sell wool-stuffed sleeping bags and pillows, etc. and I'm drooling to get a look at them and see if there is anything I could adapt to home-daycare use...

If I were starting from scratch today, knowing what I know now, I'd do a lot of things differently. However, since I do have a complete home daycare set up already, and a lot of my supplies and equipment are totally functional, although not very Waldorfy, I am planning a gradual general upgrade. I don't think I'll ever buy another bin of foamy letter stickers, but I will use up the ones we have, rather than tossing them, to give a small example. And it doesn't seem very environmentally friendly or frugal, to get rid of the better-quality plastic toy kitchen that I got in perfect shape 3rd hand for free to make way for an expensive wooden one. Though if one falls into my lap, or my kids want to help me make one when they are a little older, I would be very happy.

So, I've been working on a list of natural/Waldorfy wants for my home daycare. I plan to really hunt for bargains at thrift stores/garage sales over the next couple of years, but buy only what I love and what really fits into my vision. At the end of that time, perhaps I'll pay retail for the rest of it, . Like a pp, I've found some great wooden toys here and there, but some of them did need sanding down!

[AngelBee]

Drooling over how pretty these are...

http://custom-play-structures.com/

I am trying to create a more whimsical outdoors. With the snow melting, it is NOT looking real pretty :

What are your suggestions for the ground in an area that grass does not grow well? Should I just leave the dirt? Pebbles? Wood chips? Wild flowers?

We also have 2 dogs that potty in that general area.....so I am not sure what would be best.

The dirt is...well....dirty!

[Aubergine68]

Angelbee, those play structures are gorgeous!

We are still a couple months away from the melt, but I do think that very early spring is my least favorite time of the year for all the yuck that is revealed when the snow goes.

Could you plant something pretty bur invasive there, like creeping jenny or mint? I think "invasive" is a wonderful quality for a plant, lol! Suits my own gardening skills, personally.

We stripped out the sod and put pea gravel down under our old swingset, and that looks good and works as a play foundation. I"m also thinking of tidying up an awkward corner by laying down rocks and homemade stepping stones and trying to grow moss or maybe hens and chick in-between them. I thought that would be a good place for a fairy house or two...could also be prety low maintenance

[weliveintheforest]

Originally Posted by NoliMum

Anyway, when we come here I am so inspired to open a play place that is better managed and has a much more calm/natural atmosphere.

I do this when we visit our local indoor playground too. I find myself imagining how I would improve it if I could buy it. One thing I wish for constantly is sinks for handwashing in the food area.

[dharmama]

Here are some pictures from my DD's waldorf-inspired home nursery school!

One thing that I think makes this school so magical is that there are TWO adults/teachers and a helper (one of the teacher's homeschooled daughter) with eight children.

I've spent some time in the classroom (every chance I get actually!! ) and I've noticed how beautifully things flow...one teacher is in the kitchen cutting vegetables with a small group of children, while the other is facilitating open-ended play in the classroom...or one teacher is helping children to use the bathroom and wash up, while the other is getting out silks and puppets for story time....one teacher (or the helper) brings a child in from the yard to use the restroom, while the rest of the group plays outside.

So anyway, FWIW, my suggestion for those of you opening new programs is to consider partnering up with someone (another mom who wants to learn more about Waldorf, a college student who needs some classroom experience, a older homeschooled student etc.) if possible. I think it really enriches the experience for everyone, and makes things a lot more enjoyable and managable for the adults.

[Aubergine68]

Originally Posted by dharmama

So anyway, FWIW, my suggestion for those of you opening new programs is to consider partnering up with someone (another mom who wants to learn more about Waldorf, a college student who needs some classroom experience, a older homeschooled student etc.) if possible. I think it really enriches the experience for everyone, and makes things a lot more enjoyable and managable for the adults.

Thanks for sharing--what a beautiful place!

I think taking fewer children and having older helpers is an excellent suggestion. There is a Waldorf-inspired home daycare I know of near me that runs with a ratio of 1-4 as well. They also don't take children under, I think, age 2 or 2.5, making it more like a Waldorf preschool. It looks like your dd's school is also for older children and that the teacher doesn't have little ones of her own in the group -- that makes a difference, too!

I am personally looking forward to running my own daycare with a ratio more like that in the future , after my sons start elementary, with no more than 3- 4 daycare children during the day, and then the boys coming in after school . My youngest will be in kindergarten in 3 years. My dd will be homeschooling for jr high at that point (this is our plan for her brothers eventually, too, if they want it) and she will also be around. We've already discussed having her help out with menu planning, lunch prep and cleanup as a part-time job.

I'd love to find a provider near me who would be open to working together. I have neighbors who also run home daycares, but we would never be a good fit. Maybe placing an ad on an attachment parenting list would work.

There is a lot I love about having a mixed group, including an infant, toddler, preschoolers. I love a baby or two in the mix -- I've already contracted to care for twins a year from now that will be 12 mo! I wonder how much Waldorf could be done with a mixed age group including the providers own very young children?